Social Protection

Building social protection floors
and comprehensive social security systems

Zambia

Publications

See all

Situation and Priorities

Social protection situation

The social protection sector in Zambia has grown significantly over the past few years, supported by a comprehensive National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPP-2014). The Social Cash Transfer, one of the flagship social protection programmes, has expanded its coverage by increasing both the number of beneficiary households as well as the transfer value. As of December 2024, the number of beneficiaries rose to 1,311,101 from 1.1 million in 2023. To further cushion beneficiary households from the effects of the drought, the regular Social Cash Transfer beneficiary households are now receiving an additional K200 per month for a period of 12 months starting June 2024.

The government, with support from development cooperation partners, the United Nations, civil society organizations, and other NGOs, has continued strengthening efforts to implement other social protection programmes such as the Keeping Girls in School Initiative, which provides education grants for girls from social cash transfer beneficiary households, targeting extremely poor and vulnerable households to improve welfare and livelihoods. These measures target individuals, households, and communities to better manage the income risks that leave people vulnerable, increase access to basic services such as health or education, and provide income stability. Other programmes include the Food Security Pack Programme, the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme, as well as disability mainstreaming in social protection. Social insurance covers pensions (old-age, invalidity, and survivors) and is provided through the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA). Employment injury coverage is managed as an employer-liability scheme.

Through the United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection, and IRISH AID projects, the ILO has been supporting the government with various interventions aimed at strengthening social protection systems and enhancing the coordination of social protection programming through the implementation of the Single Window Service Delivery at decentralized levels (district and sub-district), which has been rolled out to 47 of the targeted 118 districts. Additional interventions focus on building staff capacity from national to sub-national levels through data collection, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of Social Protection programmes to strengthening data management and availability. TRANSFORM leadership training on building social protection floors in Africa.

See also ISSA country profiles
COVID-19 and other crises

The government, with support from partners like the European Union and UN agencies, implemented a multi-sectoral national response plan to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. Through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) programme, financial assistance was provided to 461,741 vulnerable beneficiaries across 22 districts, including households with persons with disabilities. Beneficiaries received varying amounts based on district-specific payment structures designed at the time, alongside sensitization on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices. The initiative aimed to support both existing and new vulnerable groups, including those in the informal economy. Additionally, the government expanded social protection coverage, increased transfer values, and stabilized cash transfer regularity through sustained budgetary support, ensuring continued assistance against economic shocks and disaster-related risks.

Additionally, in response to severe droughts in Zambia, the Drought Emergency Social Cash Transfer has been set up and is providing a transfer value of K400 per month to 952,570 households that have become vulnerable as a result of crop failure and are not on the regular Social Cash Transfer Programme. The Drought Emergency Social Cash Transfer is only forseen for a period of 12 months and will end in June 2025.

Visit the Social Protection COVID-19 Monitor
Government and social partner priorities
  • Establish comprehensive social protection floors and ladders as enablers of more equitable economic and social development.
  • Enhance social protection systems development and strengthening, including the Disability Management Information System (DMIS), the National Health Insurance Management Information System (NHIMA) and the Single Window Service delivery information system.
  • Strengthen the inclusion, integration, and convergence of different existing social protection systems through inter-operability of the Disability Management Information System (DMIS), the National Health Insurance Management Information System (NHIMA) linking them to the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS).
  • Improve resilience, coordination and integration of social protection programme implementation through the Single Window Service delivery initiative for improved stakeholder collaboration, beneficiary targeting, and the creation of graduation pathways by supporting the scoping and identification of relevant graduation designs.
  • Support shock-responsive social protection by advancing system development, including providing support to systems within the wider ecosystem needed for timely, adequate, and comprehensive shock responses.
  • Strengthen disability mainstreaming in social protection y building the capacities of government staff in planning, budgeting, and M&E frameworks; build the capacity of OPDs to advocate for their meaningful inclusion in the design, implementation, and monitoring of government programmes; and strengthen the disability certification programme through a robust and interlinked Disability Management Information System (DMIS).
  • Extend social insurance and social health insurance to the informal economy, including through reforms to make the pension system mandatory.

ILO Projects and Programmes

See all

Results

  • Supported the government’s approval through Cabinet of the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, which will enhance disability inclusion interventions to directly address equality and non-discrimination, accessibility, health, education and employment among others.
  • Supported disability inclusion and mainstreaming efforts by ensuring that 26 Disability focal point persons (DFPPs) were appointed in line ministries, including facilitating the establishment of a coordination system.
  • Supported the establishment of Mobile disability certification which resulted in the increase from about 5,000 in 2014 to 200,000 in 2025 in five provinces (Western, Copperbelt, Northern, Muchinga and Southern provinces). This has brought about efficiency and effectiveness in the registration and certification process for persons with disabilities.
  • Supported the development the Disability Management Information System (DMIS) and decentralized DMIS to all ten provinces. The automation of the Management information system has shown improvements in the data management shifting away from the tedious manual process of data capturing, recording and storage through hard copies.
  • In June 2022, the Government of the Republic of Zambia approved the implementation of the Cash Plus Approach in its social protection programming, aiming to enhance the comprehensiveness of social protection coverage enjoyed by nearly 1 million current.
  • In August 2024, the draft Cash Plus Strategy was developed with the support of the ILO through the United Nations Joint Programme for Social Protection through a widely consultative process. Once finalised and implemented, the Strategy will be crucial in providing strategic guidance in combining cash assistance with programs like skills training, agricultural support, and social services. It will help beneficiaries achieve sustainable livelihoods, reduce dependency, and improve overall well-being, ultimately contributing to poverty reduction and economic stability in the country.
  • Extended health insurance benefits of about 16,000 households equivalent to 80,000 Social Cash Transfer beneficiaries including persons with disabilities and those chronically ill through Cash Plus linkages in the Single Window implementing districts to access health services through the National Health Insurance Scheme.
  • Successfully piloted a six-month internship program for 30 persons with disabilities with Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) and resulted 25 being retained.
  • Supported the development and launch of the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities Communication strategy, which will help dispel long-standing myths and misconceptions about persons with disabilities.
  • Supported the development of an enhanced version of ZAPD Website, Research Repository and Digital OPD register through the UNJPSP II.
  • Supported the Development of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Human and Social Development Cluster which was followed capacity building and creation of a team of 14 M&E Focal-point persons for Social Protection M&E at national level.
  • Supported the development of Capacity in data collection, reporting and M&E including certification of 90 district staff selected across 18 Single Window implementing Districts while working in collaboration with the MCDSS and the University of Zambia to develop a pool of M&E resource persons at district level.
  • Supported the strengthening of Government and the Civil Society relations through entering into and signing of a Cabinet Memorandum (Cab-Memo) between the Ministry of Community Development and the Civil Society. This played a pivotal role in advocacy efforts that resulted in the increase of both the transfer value and coverage of the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
See all

Funding gaps / Support the ILO

US$ 500 000

Support systems development and strengthening

US$ 400 000

Strengthening coordination of social protection programming for effective Cash

US$ 250 000

Support towards social accountability and rights based social protection

US$ 500 000

Promote linkages between social insurance schemes and other government interventions to facilitate the extension of coverage amongst vulnerable workers in the informal and rural economy

US$ 250 000

Support development of a common administrative framework to facilitate access of vulnerable workers to multiple social protection programmes, reducing transactional costs and barriers to accessing benefits and services

US$ 400 000

Development of a national road map for social health insurance implementation in Zambia, including support for continued social dialogue among government and social partners, revised actuarial assessments and a study of options for additional public financing to support groups exempted from paying contributions to the scheme

Support the ILO

News and Events

See all

Workspaces

See all

Multimedia

See all