Three Challenges of Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: Informality, Climate Change and Pandemics
International Journal of Social Welfare
Download
Abstract: This peer-reviewed article investigates three interlinked challenges facing social protection systems in sub-Saharan Africa: the dominance of informality in labor markets, escalating climate-induced risks, and vulnerability to pandemics. It introduces a typology of the ?social protection mix? encompassing formal, semi-formal, and informal mechanisms. Drawing on comparative case studies and secondary literature, the author explores how these layers interact in shaping resilience outcomes across low-income contexts. The paper critiques the inefficiencies in formal mechanisms, reveals fragilities in informal social support systems under covariate shocks (e.g., droughts, floods, disease outbreaks), and proposes integrated policy responses, including adaptive social protection aligned with climate-sensitive design. Kenya features in case comparisons such as the Hunger Safety Net Programme and inclusion of informal workers through pension schemes.