AFRICAN WELFARE SYSTEMS IN PERSPECTIVE

This article provides an overview of aspects of social welfare systems in Africa, outlining the various strands of the systems, their goals, achievements and shortcomings. On the whole, social welfare systems i n Africa reflect, to a certain extent, the historical antecedents and the level of socio-economic development of the constituent nation-stat es. While a singular achievement of the systems has been the consolida tion of the programmes put in place by the former colonial authorities , they are still undeniably limited in scope and coverage. The economi c programmes which are being implemented in many parts of Africa pose a challenge to the authorities as well as offer new opportunities for retooling the social welfare system.