The Sociopolitical Structure of Accumulation and Social Policy in Southern Africa

The round table on “Advancing regional social integration, social protection, and free movement of people in Southern Africa” was organized as part of the conference “Regional governance of migration and social policy: Comparing European and African regional integration policies and practices” held at the University of Pretoria (South Africa) on 18–20 April 2012, at which the articles in this special issue were first presented. The discussion was moderated by Prince Mashele of the South African Centre for Politics and Research and the participants included: Yitna Getachew, IOM Regional Representative for Southern Africa, Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA); Jonathan Crush, University of Cape Town and Balsillie School of International Affairs, Canada, representing the Southern Africa Migration Program (SAMP); Vic van Vuuren, Director of Southern African ILO; Vivienne Taylor, South Africa Planning Commission; Sergio Calle Norena, Deputy Regional Representative of UNHCR; Laurent De Boeck, Director, ACP Observatory on Migration, Brussels; Wiseman Magasela, Deputy Director General Social Policy, South African Department of Social Development; and Sanusha Naidu, Open Society Foundation for South Africa.

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The limits to ‘global’ social policy: The ILO, the social protection floor and the politics of welfare in East and Southern Africa

Global Social Policy ◽

10.1177/1468018119846418 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1-2) ◽

pp. 139-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jeremy Seekings

Keyword(s):

Social Policy ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Social Protection ◽

African Countries ◽

International Labour Organisation ◽

The Social ◽

National Governments ◽

Direct Use ◽

Actual Policy ◽

Subsequent Diffusion

Bob Deacon’s study of the Social Protection Floors initiative, led by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), entailed a pioneering study of the making of global social policy. Just how global is this ‘global social policy’ in terms of both its making and its subsequent diffusion? African governments were minimally involved in the making of this global social policy. Most seem to have acquiesced in this global policy-making, as they have with other ‘global’ declarations, in the expectation that it would have little effect on them. Nor, in Southern Africa, is there clear evidence of any significant effect. Even the social protection strategy documents adopted by either the African Union or national governments, typically written by external consultants, have generally avoided direct use of the concept of the social protection floor, while reiterating the commitment to ‘comprehensive’ (and appropriate) social protection that predated the ILO-led initiative. The trajectory of actual policy reform in Southern African countries does not appear to have changed. There continues to be a disjuncture between ‘global social policy’ at the global and African levels.

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