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The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) warns that National Treasury's new conditions for SASSA—including bank account surveillance, database cross-checks, and biometric verification—will erroneously exclude up to half of rightful beneficiaries of the child support, older persons, disability, and care dependency grants. Drawing on evidence from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, where 90% of exclusions are estimated to be erroneous, the briefing argues that these measures prioritise fiscal savings over constitutional rights to social assistance and basic nutrition.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the 2023 South African Budget, asserting that it prioritizes debt stabilization and austerity over essential public services and social protection. The IEJ highlights significant real-term funding shortfalls in healthcare, education, and social grants, and warns that conditions on Eskom's debt relief facilitate privatization and exacerbate energy poverty. The document calls for a shift toward a developmental macroeconomic framework, progressive taxation—including a wealth tax and returning the corporate tax rate to 28%—and the implementation of a permanent basic income support system to address systemic inequality and poverty.

The Budget Justice Coalition criticizes South Africa's 2022 budget for prioritizing a budget surplus and corporate tax relief over critical social spending. The coalition highlights real-term funding cuts to basic education, healthcare, and the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, arguing that these measures entrench poverty and gender inequality. The document advocates for an alternative human rights-based budget featuring progressive taxation and a Universal Basic Income Guarantee.