FROM SURVIVAL TO STABILITY: DSD CONTINUES STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR GBL

By Nonhlakanipho Masola.

• Beyond Handouts—Restoring Dignity: The GBL initiative is redefining poverty reduction by creating sustainable livelihoods that foster self-reliance and economic independence.
• Urgent Call for Municipal and Multi-Sector Involvement: Inclusion of local municipalities and CDPs is critical to ensure that the programme addresses ground-level realities and maximizes impact.
• With pilots in three provinces, stakeholders are aligning resources and policy frameworks for a national rollout, positioning GBL as a cornerstone of social development strategy.

Day 2 of the strategic planning session on Linking Social Protection Beneficiaries to Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities, held under the World Population Day Programme, continued on 30 July 2025 at the Coastlands Hotel in Umhlanga.

Building on the momentum and heartfelt reflections from the previous day, the session went beyond policy discussions; it became an authentic platform for honest conversations focusing on what it truly takes to transition individuals from mere survival to sustainable stability. The reflections from the site visit were powerful; beneficiaries spoke openly to the stakeholders about their struggles, hopes, and challenges, reminding everyone in the hall that creating sustainable livelihoods is about more than programmes; it’s about restoring dignity, rebuilding purpose, and the belief that a better future is possible.

Stakeholders also paused to critically reflect on their responsibility in sustaining and scaling these efforts.

Zodwa Losabe from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), a member of the Project Steering Committee chaired by DG Peter Natshipale, delivered a thought-provoking message that resonated deeply with everyone in the room. She spoke of a looming challenge, the imminent tariff increases scheduled for 1 August and the nation’s preparedness to shield its most vulnerable citizens from these economic shocks.

Mrs Losabe underscored the strategic importance of involving local municipalities through Local Economic Development (LED) units, given that many participants already pay for municipal services. Furthermore, she questioned the absence of Community Development Practitioners (CDPs) during the KwaMashu site visit, stressing their critical role in poverty alleviation and unemployment reduction.

“This cannot be another short-lived intervention,” she warned, calling for robust, coordinated action to ensure the pilot becomes a transformative success story, not just a fleeting initiative. Welcoming the participation of National Treasury, she urged that budget allocations be prioritised to meaningfully support the programme.

Collaborative Leadership at the Core

Mrs Losabe also explained that the steering committee brings together an influential network of key players, including National Treasury, the Presidency, the Department of Small Business Development, Public Works and infrastructure, Higher Education and Training, Land reform and Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform and rural development, the NYDA, the Youth Employment Service, SIDFAs, and Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, department of employment and labour, COGTA. With the initiative already being piloted in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State, the urgency to act and act together was made clear. It’s not just about launching yet another programme, but about building real, lasting pathways out of poverty.