Zambia Scales Up Social Cash Transfers to Tackle Poverty by 2030
Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to ending poverty and hunger by 2030 through an accelerated rollout of its Social Cash Transfer Programme, targeting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1 and 2. This announcement came during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, Spain.
Ms. Angela Kawandami, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Community Development, outlined Zambia’s strategic approach under the Sprint 2030 Initiative, which aims to increase social protection coverage from 1.3 million to 2 million beneficiaries. This expansion will be guided by a newly developed Pre-Implementation Plan aligning with national priorities on social welfare, nutrition, and climate resilience.
To enhance the programme’s impact, Zambia is rolling out a “Cash-Plus” model, combining financial aid with critical services such as nutrition education, healthcare access, livelihood training, and financial literacy. This integrated approach, supported by partners including the World Bank and UNICEF, is designed to build resilient and self-reliant communities.
During the conference, Ms. Kawandami held bilateral discussions with high-level officials, including Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, to explore avenues for sustainable international financing, technical assistance, and peer collaboration.
FFD4, co-hosted by Spain and Brazil, convenes global leaders to assess progress on financing the 2030 Agenda. The event emphasizes reforms in the global financial system and mobilizing public-private investments to accelerate the SDGs.
