Benefits of the Expanded Public Works Programme in South Africa: A Direct Stakeholder’s Perception

Abstract

There are several socio-economic challenges ravaging the continent of Africa and other developing countries. Among these issues is unemployment, which is directly linked to the high crime rate, poverty, and other societal ills in South Africa. To develop sought-after skills and to facilitate gainful employment toward the goal of poverty alleviation in the country, several programmes are initiated by the South African government. One of the various interventions is the expanded public works programme (EPWP). This paper is aimed at identifying the beneficial factors of the EPWP in South Africa from the stakeholders’ point of view. A quantitative research approach was employed in the study. Data collection was achieved through the duo of literature review and the use of a structured closed-ended questionnaire survey. The data from the returned survey was analyzed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. The findings showed that employment creation, strengthened community participation, infrastructure improvement, skills enhancement of participants, and provision of social security are the major benefits of the EPWP. Continuous revising and re-conceptualizing of the EPWP operations are recommended to maximize and sustain the benefits of the programme.

Keywords: Built environment, Poverty, Socioeconomic, South Africa, Sustainable Development Goals

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1003091