SUSTAINING SOCIAL PROTECTION: BUILDING FISCAL PATHWAYS FOR INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY

By Thandeka Stampu.

• ⁠It is important for the fiscus to work closely with the social development policy makers, according to the acting chief director, health and social development at the National Treasury, Dr Mashudu Bidzha.
• Dr Bidzha was taking part in a high-level policy colloquium interrogating how best to integrate social protection and income-generating opportunities.
• More than 60% of the National Treasury’s consolidated expenditure goes on the social wage.

The acting chief director, health and social development at the National Treasury, Dr Mashudu Bidzha, posed a question to the delegates attending the social development policy colloquium in Sandton: “What drives spending? Do you start from policy and then move to resource allocation?”

For Dr Bidzha, the colloquium was a timely opportunity for the various departments and agencies within the social development cluster to explore ways to work together to tackle both policy and funding dilemmas.

His address at the colloquium taking place over two days, 28 – 29 October 2025, in Sandton provided much to think about: “Sustaining social protection: building fiscal pathways for inclusion and opportunity”.

He outlined how the health and social development unit in the National Treasury dealt with all resource issues.

Gatherings like the colloquium provide opportunities to work together, developing policies that are responsive to societal needs and that are then delivered in the most efficient way.

“Social development as a function group within government spends almost 19.5% of the country’s non-interest expenditure, but when it comes to social protection or social assistance, the country spends around 15% of non-interest expenditure on social assistance or social protection.”

He also noted that around 61% of non-interest expenditure went on the social wage, which includes health, education, social protection, community development, and employment programmes.

The point he was making was to show that the government invests a large amount of its resources in social development. “I’m raising these issues to show to others who may not be aware that the government does invest a chunk of its resources in the social protection or social development programme.”