CASH TRANSFER GRANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PODCAST
EPISODE NINE
In April 2020, 1 in 5 South Africans were going to bed hungry. The country had locked down hard, millions of casual workers were laid off. The existing system of food parcel distribution was overwhelmed, and there were issues with logistical management and theft. There were nightly images on the news of snaking queues for food that always ran out. During this emergency, Kate Orkin influenced £4.87 billion in spending that helped 28.5 million people and saved 5.5 million from extreme poverty. In November 2023 Kate was awarded the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) Outstanding Public Policy Impact Award 2023 for her work in South Africa. In this episode, Kate talks to CSAE Director Stefan Dercon about the work behind the prize and the challenges she faced turning her research into policy.
Project location: South Africa Read the transcript Published 28 November 2023
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
MBRG Policy Work
Kenya cash transfers project
Read all about the project aims, methods, and results on the CSAE website.
ESRC Impact Prize 2023 project video
As part of the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize 2023, a video was made about Kate's research in South Africa.
SPEAKERS
Stefan Dercon
CSAE Director and Professor of Public Policy
University of Oxford
Kate Orkin
University of Oxford