Urbanization in South African cities has led to rapid growth of informal settlements, posing significant challenges for social welfare provision. Qualitative data were collected from interviews with community members, service providers, and government officials in selected informal settlements. Focus groups and document reviews supplemented the primary data collection process. The analysis revealed that while there was a general increase in social welfare services like healthcare and education, the delivery mechanisms often failed to reach residents effectively due to geographical constraints and bureaucratic inefficiencies. These findings highlight the need for more targeted and community-centric service delivery models to enhance access and efficacy of social welfare programmes within informal settlements. Policy recommendations include strengthening community engagement in service provision, improving infrastructure connectivity, and implementing innovative financing mechanisms.
Mosia et al. (Thu,) studied this question.