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Reconfiguration of Informal Social Protection Systems of Older Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Author

Listed:
  • Phoene Mesa Oware

    (School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa)

  • Yanga Zembe

    (School of Built Environment & Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
    South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), P.O. Box 19070, Cape Town 7505, South Africa)

  • Wanga Zembe-Mkabile

    (South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), P.O. Box 19070, Cape Town 7505, South Africa)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns in sub-Saharan Africa led to significant social, economic, and health shocks, raising the need for social protection. While the adaptation of formal systems of social protection in response to these shocks has been investigated, gaps remain in understanding how informal social protection (ISP) systems were reconfigured. Taking the ISP systems of older adults as an entry point, and through the lens of ubuntu, an African moral philosophy that underpins ISP systems, this paper synthesises evidence on the ISP systems of older adults prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2024). It highlights shifts that were experienced within these systems amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence reveals pre-existing barriers for older adults to engage in ISP networks prior to the pandemic. The pandemic context enabled older adults to re-integrate and participate in reciprocal exchanges within kinship and community networks. However, the unique pandemic circumstances revealed the additional vulnerabilities of ISP systems, highlighting the need to strengthen state-led interventions to reduce reliance on ISP systems. Opportunities and social policy considerations to reimagine care for older adults in a post-COVID-19 world are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Phoene Mesa Oware & Yanga Zembe & Wanga Zembe-Mkabile, 2025. "Reconfiguration of Informal Social Protection Systems of Older Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:4:p:200-:d:1619389
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