---

This shift might be because opposition parties have increasingly come out in support of the social grant system.  For example, the DA has been promising to increase the child social grant from R510 a month to R760 a month in line with the Stats SA’s food poverty line.

---

Sizwe sama Yende

---

Social grants will not influence voters to choose the ANC.

A recent survey by the University of Johannesburg indicates that 53% of social grants beneficiaries that were polled would prefer to vote an opposition party. Only 47% said they would vote the ANC.

The survey which is titled - Factors determining voter choice in South Africa’s 2024 general elections – by professors Leila Patel, Yolanda Sadie and statistician aclyn de Klerk was published this month.

Government has expanded the social grants system significantly since 2020. Social grant beneficiaries have increased  from 18 million to between 25 and 27 million at different times as a result of government’s intervention to mitigate impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic through the Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD).

The Department of Social Development estimates that 47% of the population receive one or more social grants. The SRD will be provided until the end of May 2025, and indications are that government will introduce the Basic Income Grant soon after to continue cushioning the unemployed.

Previously, the survey found, almost two-thirds of respondents said they would vote ANC. “Grant recipients showed stronger support (by 8%) for the ANC relative to non-recipients.”

The survey noted that since the SRD grant was introduced in 2020 the composition of grant recipients may differ.

“This shift might be because opposition parties have increasingly come out in support of the social grant system.  For example, the DA has been promising to increase the child social grant from R510 a month to R760 a month in line with the Stats SA’s food poverty line,” the authors said.

“Opposition party Action SA said the R350 SRD grant is too low and that the people of SA deserve more. The Multi-Party Charter pledged to increase social grants above the poverty line.”

When respondents were asked why they would choose a specific party in the 2024 election, they could offer up to five reasons.

The most frequently cited reason, by 55% of the respondents, was that the party could provide jobs.  This was followed by the party’s promises to improve people’s lives (49%).

The third reason cited was that the party will improve service delivery 48%. Social grants as a reason respondents would vote the party came fourth and was cited by 44%.

Forty per cent of respondents said they would vote a party because they trusted it.