Premium
Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment in South Africa: Context, Issues and the Way Forward
Author(s) -
Chibba Michael,
Luiz John M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
economic papers: a journal of applied economics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.245
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1759-3441
pISSN - 0812-0439
DOI - 10.1111/j.1759-3441.2011.00129.x
Subject(s) - poverty , unemployment , inequality , context (archaeology) , development economics , action (physics) , political science , economic growth , economics , geography , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , archaeology , quantum mechanics
The purpose of this article is to present a concise policy review of poverty, inequality and unemployment (PIU) in South Africa and to draw lessons for current and future action. South Africa is of particular interest given its history of racial estates which has entrenched high levels of poverty, structural inequality and structural unemployment. As such, this article is organised as follows. An introduction is followed by an outline of the overarching nature of PIU issues. Next, the key policies in the post‐apartheid period to tackle PIU problems are highlighted. Finally, the way forward is proposed with respect to: (i) the range of policy weaknesses identified and the fundamental need to reorient policy in an eclectic and innovative manner to address past failures; (ii) ensuring that PIU are tackled head‐on; and (iii) supporting and pursuing the use of both the emerging new economics and alternative models of development. These findings have practical implications for planning, policy‐making and programming and a six‐step procedure for planning and implementation is proposed.