The Impact of the SEF programme on stipend provision in SA in light of recent research indicating that a livable wage in SA should be about R15,000 per month, the IDC’s Social Employment Fund (SEF) programme offers crucial support to vulnerable communities, albeit at a more modest scale.
This stipend, currently pegged at the minimum wage of R29 per hour, translates to approximately R1,850 per month for participants working a maximum of 64 hours. While the SEF stipend provides crucial support, it falls significantly short of both the minimum and livable wages, underscoring that while it serves as a vital social safety net, it cannot replace the urgent need for sustainable job creation and economic growth.
