Ageing is often associated with health-related challenges, but it can have a huge impact on the country’s economy. Unhealthy ageing is strongly associated with a greater need for health services which reduces the amount of income available for other needs like food. This has put increased pressure on an already strained fiscus to sustain a growing community that is eligible to receive state-funded pensions.
South Africa has three social grants to protect households from the financial consequences of ageing. There is the Old Age state grant provided to all individuals over the age of 60, disability grant to those that have a disability that prevents them from working and care grant which is provided to individuals that need to care for disabled adults. All these grants have become strong pillars in the South African welfare system and most importantly a valuable tool for tackling poverty among older people and over 17 million grants are paid out every month.
“We are a forum of women pensioners who live in Pietermaritzburg and we are organizing with other pensioners locally and nationally to petition for all pensioners to receive a substantial increase on our monthly state old-age grant (currently R1 700) and for a bonus in December equal to double the monthly pension. We are very worried about our situation as we rely on our old-age grant to care for our families.” said Thina Ogogo. The role of older people in childcare in rural households remains vital. This is because an increasing number of women of child-bearing age are migrating far afield for employment
The Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System records every member of each household, temporary migrants, regularly updating every birth, migration in and migration out, and death, as well as the cause of death. Its objective was to try and anticipate the kinds of health system reforms the country would need as it prepared for the end of apartheid, and the building of a new democratic state.
The project partnered with Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community six years ago to measure health and ageing specifically. The study involves collecting income and health information on older people approximately every two years. They helped to provide critical insights into how health risks and social influences earlier in life affect the outcomes in the later stages of life.
