Abstract
This study investigated the experiences of older persons who are beneficiaries of the state-funded old-age pension in Mazombizwe, Eswatini. Social protection provision in this small nation-state is an under-researched topic which is why this study sought to understand how pension recipients use their pension to 1) escape extreme poverty and 2) achieve social and economic outcomes. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 older persons who gave detailed accounts of personal experiences.
The study found that the pension makes a considerable impact towards eradicating extreme poverty among beneficiaries, who reported that their circumstances had improved since they started receiving the pension. The results show that receiving the pension improves beneficiaries’ ability to buy their own food in increased quantities and improved quality, thereby decreasing food insecurity. The pension also ensures that beneficiaries have cash, which they use at their own discretion to achieve a range of material and non-material outcomes, strengthen family resilience and facilitate social inclusion. Improvements in pension access via convenient pay points were also highlighted by beneficiaries.
The experiences of older persons in Mazombizwe captured in this study are similar to observations made elsewhere in the Southern Africa region where social assistance is more developed compared to other parts of Africa. In this study, old-age pensions have been found to provide material and non-material support to beneficiaries and their households. While results elsewhere show that the pensions can also be used as a stimulant for small-scale economic activities, in Mazombizwe the pension was found to be insufficient, particularly when paid over three-month increments, and therefore limited beneficiaries’ productive capacities. At a policy level, the study concludes that there is a need to reform the social pensions in Eswatini to better respond to the specific needs of beneficiaries and to strengthen the social protection system.
Key words: old-age pension, Mazombizwe, extreme poverty, non-material benefits, material benefits.