Photo: Open Secrets
Current Project
New digital Welfare profiteers
In 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced new social protection measures for Covid-19. Given the need for social distancing – and the fact that the new beneficiaries were not registered with the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) – private partners such as GovChat were brought on board to digitise the process. This is not unusual. Around the world, private companies are being contracted to facilitate the digitalisation of state services. I collaborated with Open Secrets to show how these digital systems can cause harm – particularly to people in need of social assistance. In the digital welfare state, private companies seek to profit from the personal data they gather through digital grant systems co-created with the state. New biometric security systems also make it more difficult for people to qualify for and receive their grants, particularly those who do not have smartphones.
We are:
1. Submitting Freedom of Information Requests for the contracts of all the partners involved with welfare delivery
2. Reviewing the contracts to understand who is making money off grant payment
3. Ensuring all companies involved are protecting the personal data of grantees
4. Ensuring new technologies do not prevent people from accessing grants
We are:
1. Submitting Freedom of Information Requests for the contracts of all the partners involved with welfare delivery
2. Reviewing the contracts to understand who is making money off grant payment
3. Ensuring all companies involved are protecting the personal data of grantees
4. Ensuring new technologies do not prevent people from accessing grants
Advocacy agenda
protect personal data
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Read: Our investigative report about digital profiteering off welfare recipients.
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Watch: Our report launch with Rob Rose from the Financial Mail from 25 November 2021.
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Read: This book by Open Secrets on the many unaccountable politicians and corporations in South Africa.
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Videos of our investigation
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