This policy brief from the World Bank provides an overview of cash transfers in African countries. The brief defines “cash transfers” and their uses. The brief also lists key design elements of cash transfer programs in Africa, including the opportunities for innovation that cash transfer programs create, the accountability mechanisms in place, and the monitoring and evaluation. The brief highlights the differences between conditional and unconditional transfers and cash and non-cash transfers and the evidence on whether conditional or unconditional transfers are a better model. The brief also includes country examples from South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana. The brief concludes with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities related to cash transfer programs in Africa.
