DSD updates Parliamentary committee on progress toward Basic Income Support policy

By Precious Mupenzi

• The Department of Social Development has, over the past eight months, consulted widely on the draft Basic Income Support policy, including hosting a colloquium under the theme “From grants to growth: Integrating social protection and income-generating opportunities”.
• ⁠This information was presented to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development during a virtual briefing from the department on 4 February 2026.
• ⁠The Acting Deputy Director-General for Comprehensive Social Security, Dr Maureen Mogotsi, also highlighted that the departments of employment and labour, public works and small business development were among those consulted.

The Acting Deputy Director-General for Comprehensive Social Security, Dr Maureen Mogotsi, has updated the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the extensive consultations the department has undertaken on the draft Basic Income Support Policy since the last committee meeting.

Speaking during a virtual session on 4 February 2026, Dr Mogotsi said the consultations, conducted with key government departments, including employment and labour, public works, and small business development, focused on strengthening economic inclusion measures for beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress.

The engagements culminated in a consultation report finalised in June 2025, the findings of which were incorporated into a revised Basic Income Support policy framework.

The updated policy paper was subsequently shared with National Treasury and the Presidency for further input.

Progress since June 2025

Updating members on developments since June 2025, Dr Mogotsi said the department convened a two-day policy colloquium in October 2025 under the theme “From grants to growth: Integrating social protection and income-generating opportunities”.

The colloquium explored policy options to address the income needs of the working-age population while strengthening linkages between income support, labour activation and livelihood strategies.

The engagement brought together government departments alongside local and international experts in social protection and economic inclusion.

Discussions emphasised the importance of complementary interventions that enable working-age adults to support themselves and live with dignity.

The colloquium also highlighted the role of technology, coherent institutional design and adequate financial investment in building a sustainable and effective income support system.

Engagements with Treasury and the Presidency

Following the colloquium, the department continued engagements with the Presidency and National Treasury, sharing the updated Basic Income Support report for consideration.

National Treasury subsequently requested updated costing of the proposed policy, which has since been commissioned and is expected to be completed by late February.

Dr Mogotsi said the Presidency provided critical support to the process, including facilitating linkages with labour activation initiatives such as the MyMzansi programme. These initiatives are being incorporated into the Basic Income Support policy framework in response to Cabinet’s request to demonstrate how income support will be linked to broader economic opportunities.

Once finalised, the costing work will be integrated into the policy proposal to address fiscal considerations.

Next steps and SRD extension

In parallel with the Basic Income Support policy work, the department requested Treasury to extend the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress to prevent a break in income support while the policy is being finalised.

The department reported that the draft allocation letter for the 2026/27 financial year includes provision for the Social Relief of Distress until March 2026.

Dr Mogotsi further indicated that regulations for the continuation of the Social Relief of Distress have been completed and submitted to the State Law Advisor for certification, after which they will be published for public comment.

The department is targeting March 2027 to submit the revised Basic Income Support policy to Cabinet for consideration.

Some members of the portfolio committee raised concerns about the proposed timeline, saying the submission date was too far off, given the urgency of income insecurity faced by millions of working-age South Africans.