This study reviews existing knowledge on social protection experiences and lessons in southern Africa, concentrating on policies and instruments currently implemented in the six RHVP focus countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Social protection includes but is not limited to safety nets, and describes all initiatives that provide income (cash) and/or consumption (food) transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks, and enhance the social status and rights of socially excluded and marginalised people. In practice social protection remains focused on the first and second of these objectives, covering similar ground to narrowly defined safety nets.
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