The launch of the Decent Standard of Living report marked a significant step towards understanding poverty and inequality’s impact on people’s lives in South Africa. The findings highlighted both positive trends and ongoing challenges in achieving a decent standard of living for all, while the discussions provided insights into the complexities of poverty reduction and policy development.

The overall objective of this analysis is to demonstrate, based on economic analysis, the costs involved in introducing and institutionalising a SADC-wide Basic Income Grant (SADC BIG) that is wholly or predominately funded through the extractive industries to promote economic justice, reduce poverty and inequality and stimulate human and economic integration and development in the region.

This document is the outcome of the project: Improving Access to the Socio-Economic Right of Housing, which is a joint project of Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute (SPII) and the Open Society Foundation. The project has twin objectives: to pilot the use of desktop research, community based social audits and expert-level social dialogues to produce new methodology to improve people’s access to their socio-economic rights in South Africa and other countries.

South Africa’s Constitution places great emphasis on the inclusion of socio-economic rights, which among other things, seek to ensure that the fundamental needs of the people are meaningfully protected and advanced following generations of colonial and apartheid-era injustices and inequality. The realisation of these rights are necessary for the establishment of a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental rights.

This People’s Guide is based on a larger research project available at www.spii.org.za entitled: Monitoring and Evaluating the Progressive Realisation of the Right to Water and Sanitation in South Africa.

An analysis of the policy efforts, budgeting and enjoyment of the right to a healthy environment in South Africa.