Strengthening Social Protection in Zambia

Despite recent economic progress, Zambia continues to experience intractably high poverty and inequality rates. Food security and access to services amongst poor and vulnerable groups is threatened by high inflation, rising fuel and fertilizer prices, and global increases in food prices and incressing frequency of natural disasters. 

Proactive measures that build resilence, such as social assistance, are crucial to boost incomes and purchasing power and to prevent negative coping mechanisms and increased livelihood losses. Cash transfers, in particular, are catalytic to addressing multiple dimensions of poverty, and, if part of a functional social protection system, cost less than exposte humanitarian assistance.

Zambia’s Social Cash Transfer programme enjoys large stakeholder buy-in and specifically targets marginalised populations, but its rapid growth has exposed weaknesses in the structures and systems of programme administration. There is also a need to boost the government’s commitment to funding the programme in the context of a shrinking fiscal space.

Switzerland brings a long term commitment and a systemic approach to leave no one behind to help make the Social Cash Transfers more efficient and responsive to shocks. The intervention contributes to all Swiss portfolio outcomes of the Cooperation Programme 2023-2026, especially the explicit goal to strengthen social protection systems. It is also a conducive entry point for Switzerland to engage in Zambia despite no physical presence in the country.

-    An estimated 1’020’800 households from marginalised populations such as the disabled, the chronically ill, the orphaned and other left behind groups

-    Government officers, policymakers and implementing authorities

-    Community Welfare Assistance Committees and Area Coordinating Committees

-    Improved access to social cash transfer assistance, specifically for women, child headed households and disabled persons 

-    Increased government allocations and disbursements to the Social Cash Transfer programme

-    Increased coverage of consolidated Cash Plus frameworks for shock-responsiveness

-    Increased number of complaints resolved within the stipulated time frame

-    Enhanced resilience of beneficiary households    

Resultados previstos:  

-    Updated National Social Protection Policy and sustainable financing strategy 

-    Strengthened single window service delivery system

-    Strengthened digital system to deliver social cash transfers to beneficiaries electronically

-    Capacity building of institutional and coordination structures at national and community levels 

-    At least one advocacy session per quarter with Members of Parliament

-    At least 1’020’800 households receive Social Cash Transfers by the end 2026

-    Roll out of grievance redress mechanism to all districts

Resultados de las fases anteriores:  

-    National Social Protection Policy and its sustainable financing strategy

-    Reached  30 percent of population of Zambia with an increased monthly transfer amount of ZMW200 (about USD 12) compared to ZMW90 per month in 2019

-    Rolled out grievance redress mechanism in 67 out of 116 districts of Zambia

-    Reached  204’160 beneficiary households affected by COVID-19 with six-month emergency support

Swiss Embassy supported projects:

R4 Initiative; SADC Regional Vulnerability Assessment & Analysis Programme; Africa Risk Capacity

Other donors: Sweden/SIDA, Ireland, UK/FCDO, Germany/KfW and IDA