Evaluation of indigent exit strategies in selected metropolitan municipalities in South Africa

Joyce T. Ringane, Mzikayise S. Binza & Ricky M. Mukonza

Volume 5 Issue 4, December 2025

Abstract

This paper explores the implementation of Municipal Indigent Exit Strategies (MIES) in the City of Tshwane and Johannesburg, South Africa, designed to provide poor residents access to basic municipal services and help them transition from indigence to self-sufficiency. The study evaluates whether the objectives of the MIES have been achieved and how these strategies contribute to poverty alleviation. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the indigent exit strategies used by the two metros in Gauteng, and also the perceptions of the municipal workers in the indigent departments for the two metros on the indigent exit strategies. In order to address the primary objectives of the study, semi-structured interviews with municipal officials in the senior management of the indigent programmes (Directors, Deputy Directors, Managers, Social services employees) from Johannesburg Metro and Tshwane Metro were employed for collection of qualitative data. Eight senior officials were interviewed from the two metros, and were recorded using MS Teams platform. Framework analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data from the interviews. The results of the study revealed that the two metros made a great effort to develop the indigent exit programmes which includes training and skills development for the indigents. While the programmes for the Johannesburg Metro are still running, the indigent exit strategies have stagnated, and therefore not offering much to its inhabitants currently in terms of empowerment. However, both programmes showed major shortcomings in terms of tracking of the indigents, and monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the different strategies used by the municipalities to empower the indigents. The study concluded that the national government should help guide the municipalities in the development of a framework for implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the impacts of interventions that the municipalities are employing to enable them to support the initiatives of the national government towards poverty and extreme poverty eradication.

Keywords

Author information & Contribution

Joyce T. Ringane. Corresponding author. PhD. Faculty Research Officer, Department of Public Management, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, SA. Email: ringanejt@tut.ac.za

Mzikayise S. Binza. PhD. Director, Academic Enterprise and Services, The Central University of Technology, SÁ. Email: mbinza@cut.ac.za

Ricky M. Mukonza. PhD. Associate Professor in Public Affairs & Academic Manager, Department of Public Management, Tshwane University of Technology, Polokwane, SA. Email: mukonzarm@tut.ac.za

“All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”

Disclosure statement

Funding

Institutional Review Board Statement

AI Declaration

Notes

Acknowledgement

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Cite this article:

Ringane, J.T., Binza, M.S. & Mukonza, R.M. (2025). Evaluation of indigent exit strategies in selected metropolitan municipalities in South Africa. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(4), 43-65. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353272