The aim of this ongoing project is to derive an understanding of what constitutes a broadly acceptable living level that should be used to reflect a basic living level. Central to this ambitious target is an awareness of the necessity of moving away from the minimalist ‘poverty lines’ that have been used in the design and evaluation of anti-poverty programmes. The use of such very basic levels to characterise the state of poverty is dangerous in an upper middle- income country such as South Africa which is already characterized by one of the highest levels of income inequality globally. This project is thus inherently rights-based, rather than being a technocratic exercise. It is about trying to understand by asking ordinary people what such a decent living level should be for all in a post- Apartheid democracy.

A composite report of the proceedings of the 2019 Colloquium and the 2019 Research and Publications on expanding a Decent Standard of Living in South Africa.

This submission is based on the report submitted by SPI to the United Nation’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN CESCR) on the implementation of UN CESCR’s recommendation to South Africa on the necessity of adopting a composite index on the cost of living. This submission reflects the agreed position of SPI and CHR on the development of a composite index on the cost of an adequate standard of living by South Africa.

On 27 September 2013, Studies in Poverty and Inequality (SPII) and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung (FES) held the first consultative team meeting to discuss a National Minimum Living Level. The meeting was held at NEDLAC House, Rosebank, Johannesburg. Presenters and individuals that attended the meeting have an interest in a Minimum Living and were advocating for it in their respective institutions.

This Report documents the research findings, as well as the emerging issues that participants identified as being critical for the future work around a Decent Standard of Living (DSL) in South Africa.

This report seeks to consolidate existing knowledge of SPNs and the policy formation dynamics in South Africa in order to argue for government programmes that take into account the needs of its citizens including dignified livelihoods.