Abstract
This study reveals the nexus between education and vulnerability to poverty in South Africa from 2008 to 2017 using all waves from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) panel data. In contrast to existing literature, this study simultaneously disaggregates education and vulnerability to poverty to analyse the impact of all educational levels across three poverty lines. Moreover, it examines poverty variability. The study used a plethora of econometric techniques to achieve its objective. We found that there is a significant negative relationship between education and vulnerability to poverty. Furthermore, the most vulnerable group substantially reduces vulnerability to poverty using all educational levels. Therefore, policymakers should prioritize targeting the most vulnerable group when granting free access to all levels of education.
Key words: Vulnerability to poverty, Education, Poverty, South Africa.