There is increasing interest in social protection programmes as a means of reducing poverty and
vulnerability. Social cash transfers form a part of social protection programmes, and many have
been piloted and/or introduced around southern Africa. Evidence from impact evaluations shows
that, in addition to promoting food security, social cash transfers have additional beneficial
effects. These are wide ranging and extend beyond the direct recipient of the transfer to the
wider family. For the recipient, there is evidence to suggest that cash transfers promote self
esteem, social status and empowerment. They also improve food security and nutritional status,
not just for the transfer recipient, but also for other household members. Receipt of cash also
reduces absolute poverty and narrows the poverty gap, promoting equity; and also provides
necessary capital to allow beneficiaries to participate in other social services, including healthcare
and education. This paper outlines empirical evidence for the impacts of cash transfers in
southern Africa, based on an extensive literature review and primary evidence assessing 20 social
transfer programmes in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe,
which was gathered between 2005-2008 under the Regional Evidence Building Agenda of the
Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme.