Perceptions and experiences of participants regarding the effectiveness of income-generating projects in alleviating poverty in the rural communities of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, South Africa

Abstract

After democracy, the South African government inherited a country with high rates of poverty and unemployment. The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of income-generating projects in alleviating poverty in the rural communities of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The study was qualitative in nature, and evaluative research was used. The non-probability sampling, particularly purposive sampling, was used in this study. Based on a qualitative study with four income-generating projects in the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality, it was concluded that the income-generating projects were effective in alleviating poverty in that their socio-economic status improved and the projects appeared to be sustainable.

Keywords: poverty alleviation, income-generating project, social capital,  economic capital