Sustainable Livelihood Strategies in the Midst of Service Delivery Discrepancies in Rural Areas of South Africa: 2015 – 2025

Description

Page: 609-615

Nsizwazonke E. Yende¹ and Edmore Ntini² (Development Studies, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa¹ and Community Development, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa²)

Since South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994, the government has implemented numerous policies to address the historical inequities of apartheid, particularly in rural areas. Despite these efforts, significant service delivery deficits persist, exacerbating poverty and hindering sustainable livelihood strategies in these communities. This study investigates the implications of these service delivery failures on rural livelihoods in post-1994 South Africa, specifically, between 2015 and 2025. Employing a qualitative secondary research methodology, it adopts the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) to analyse the interactions between human, natural, financial, physical, and social assets in the context of systemic service inadequacies. The findings reveal that poor service provision limits the ability of rural residents to leverage their assets effectively, undermines resilience, and perpetuates cycles of poverty. Furthermore, inadequate infrastructure, governance inefficiencies, and limited community participation exacerbate disparities between rural and urban areas. This paper underscores the urgent need for equitable and sustainable service delivery as a cornerstone for improving livelihoods and fostering rural development. It concludes by offering policy recommendations to enhance governance, infrastructure, and community engagement for sustainable rural livelihoods.