Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Badar Alam Iqbal, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Economic and Business Sciences, Faculty of Commerce and Administration, Walter Sisulu
University, South Africa

Special issue information:

“Development”, encompassing both economic and social dimensions, is a universal human requirement. These two aspects of are inseparable and must progress together to achieve holistic development. Without simultaneous advancements in both areas, true development remains elusive. Social development is as important as economic development. Improvement in the social indicators contribute significantly to better economic growth and development, as the necessary inputs for economic development stem from the social sector. Unfortunately, the discourse on economic growth far exceeds that on social development, leading to rising poverty levels, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing social financial grants has emerged as a vital measure to combat poverty in the post-COVI-19 era.

A grant is a financial sum provided by government or institutions  to individuals or to organizations for specific purposes such as poverty alleviation. For a country, whether
developed or developing, social financial grants are crucial for poverty alleviation programs. These grants are pivotal role in accelerating social development in African, a region grappling with rising poverty levels. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified poverty across the continent, heightening the need for social financial grants to address the resulting challenges.

Over the last two decades, poverty and inequality have continued to rise, posing significant issues for developing economies despite steady growth (Lilenstein, et.al., 2016). Income inequality is detrimental from economic, social and political perspectives, leading to various issues (Chetty et. al., 2016). For instance, since 1994, South Africa has experienced positive economic growth until 2018, except in the year 2009, where it showed a negative growth. To reverse the adverse effect of dismantled domineering regime, the South African government has taken significant steps to improve citizens’ access to basic public goods to reduce inequality and poverty (South African Government, 1997). However, even after such initiatives, South Africa is still ranking high in inequality in the world; this shows that the perceived economic growth has had no significant reduction effect on inequality (World Bank, 2018). This paradox indicates that economic growth has not significantly reduced inequality. This extends to other African countries as well. Tseng (2013) argues that the post-apartheid growth has primarily benefited the affluent, leaving the lower strata marginalized. Research indicates that social grants can directly address inequality and require focused policy attention (Mabugu, 2019; Tseng, 2013).

Several scholars have evaluated the impact of social grants on recipients in South Africa. For example, Granlund and Hochfeld (2019) conducted a qualitative study showing that social grants, in the form of child support grant, positively affect the social lives of recipients and their families in rural communities. Despite such findings, African countries have not been comprehensively studied regarding the effects of social grants on income inequality and poverty. Therefore, this special issue aims to address these gaps through focused studies on various African countries.

Why Special Issue?

Africa has long grappled with chronic problem of limited social financial grants for poverty eradication. Addressing this pressing issue requires exploring new strategies to enhance the availability and effectiveness of social financial grants. The editors believe it is crucial to involve the planners, policy makers and social institutions in tackling this issue urgently. By inviting academics, professionals, and specialists to thoroughly examine and propose solutions, this special issue aims to make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation in Africa. Covering the entire African continent, this special issue will offer a comprehensive perspective and provide valuable policy insights to social security agencies on how different types of social security measures impact inequality.

Issues to be covered

The special issue will focus on the following topics concerning Africa:
a] Social financial grant initiatives in the African Continent
b] The role of social financial grants in poverty reduction in Africa
c] Emerging trends in social protection and poverty eradication: Pre and Post COVID-19

d] Developing effective mechanisms for receiving and utilizing social financial grants
e] Obstacles to poverty reduction through social financial grants
f] Government’s role in addressing the challenge of poverty eradication
g] Identifying factors responsible for the limited availability of social financial grants
h] Evaluation of poverty eradication policies and strategies
i] The role of digitalization in building resilient and sustainable social protection systems
post-COVID-19
j] Digital innovations in enhancing the availability and efficiency of social financial grants

Editorial and Review Process

We invite researchers to submit original research papers that contribute to the issues highlighted above. Each submission will be reviewed by two reviewers. In case of conflicting decisions, a third reviewer will be consulted. Authors will be notified of the decision and asked to revise and resubmit if necessary. Revisions will undergo a second round of review by the original reviewers who suggested major or minor revisions. The relevance of the papers to the Call for Papers will be a key criterion for acceptance.

Engagement and Impact

Stakeholder Engagement: To maximize the impact of the special issue, authors will come from multidisciplinary areas. Their current designations will be considered to ensure a diverse mix of academicians, policymakers, practitioners and government officials. Other stakeholders will be included based on the relevance of their papers.
Dissemination Plans: Accepted papers will be published in the African Review of Economics and Finance. In addition, selected papers will be summarized into short commentaries and policy briefs, highlighting key findings and recommendations for future policies. These briefs will be disseminated to policymakers and relevant stakeholders to inform and influence policy decisions.

Deadline for submission of papers: December 30 th , 2024.

The publication of Special Issue is scheduled for 2025. The papers should be between 7000-9000 words, and should follow the submission guidelines of the African Review of Economics and Finance. The Manuscript may be sent to the Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Badar Alam Iqbal; Extraordinary Professor; Department of Economic and Business Sciences; Faculty of Commerce and Administration; Walter Sisulu University [WSU]; Pretoria [South Africa] at the given below Email IDs: biqbal@wsu.ac.za / badar.iqbal@fulbrightmail.org 
We look forward to receiving contributions to advance the field of social financial grants.

References:

Chetty, R.; Stepner, M.; Abraham, S.; Lin, S.; Scuderi, B.; Turner, N. & Cutler, D. (2016). The association between income and life expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014. JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association, 315 (16), pp. 1750–1766.

Granlund, S. & Hochfeld, T. (2020). That Child Support Grant Gives Me Powers’–Exploring Socialand Relational Aspects of Cash Transfers in South Africa in Times of
Livelihood Change. The Journal of Development Studies, 56 (6), pp. 1230 –1244.

Lilenstein K.; Woolard I. & Leibbrandt M. (2016). In-work Poverty in South Africa: The Impact of Income Sharing in the Presence of High Unemployment. Southern Africa
Labour and Development Research Unit Working Paper No. 193. SALDRU, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.

Mabugu, R. (2019). Are social grants a threat to fiscal sustainability? Human Science Research Council. http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/review/hsrc-review-november-
2013/social-grants-fiscas. South African Government (1997). White Paper on Social Welfare. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/whitepaperonsocialwelfare0.pdf
.
Tseng, D. (2013). State Transfers, Poverty and Inequality of Income in South Africa: A Fifteen Year Review. https://econrsa.org/system/files/workshops/papers/2013/ersa_fifteen_year_review_-_david.pdf.

World Bank (2018) Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in South Africa. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/29614/124521-REV-OUO-
South- Africa-Poverty-and-Inequality-Assessment-Report-2018-FINALWEB.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.