Critics slam another delay to SA’s Basic Income Grant

Plans to finalise South Africa’s Universal Basic Income Support Policy (UBIS) have been delayed again, with the Department of Social Development (DSD) now expected to submit a revised version to Cabinet only in March 2027.

The timeline has drawn criticism from basic income advocates, who say the policy has already undergone years of consultation and review.

"It's actually not clear at all why that is the case, because the policy has, for a very long time, been delayed.

"We know, for example, that it was submitted to Cabinet way back in 2024. We know that DSD had essentially completed its consultations long before then. They had an expert panel of economists and academics who had studied what the potential impacts of basic income would be on the economy all the way back in 2022.

"It's definitely not a rational reason based on their own policy-making capabilities. But it likely indicates that other players are influencing what the final policy is likely to look like. So essentially, watering it down, and that's what's making it take so long to develop. The main one is definitely National Treasury," said Siyanda Baduza, Basic Income Researcher at the Institute of Economic Justice (IEJ).

In the meantime, the Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) remains in place until March 2027.

However, Baduza warned there is uncertainty about what will happen after that, as any new policy would still need to pass through Parliament.

He also criticised the current R370 SRD grant as inadequate and difficult to access.

To listen to Siyanda Baduza in conversation with 702 and CapeTalk's Africa Melane, click the audio below: