A large share of South Africa’s population receives some form of social grant. According to government, this figure rose from 7 percent in 1996 to over 30 percent by 2019/20. Rising uptake of the COVID Social Relief of Distress grant may increase the proportion to about half of the population. Note that available figures on grants distributed may overstate the 2021/22 number of individual recipients as some recipients may receive more than one grant.
