The 2020 ISSA Good Practice Award for Africa competition set new bars for the ISSA. The 97 entries and 36 participating social security institutions are the highest numbers ever. This is a clear attestation to the steadfast commitment of African members of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) to promote, advance and innovate in social security.
The 97 good practices from 27 African countries are new additions to the ISSA Good Practice Database, a rich resource of innovative ideas on strategic areas in social security administration that is exclusively available to the worldwide ISSA membership.
The regional Good Practice Award (GPA) competitions are an opportunity for members to share their accomplishments in developing, implementing and delivering social security. They are organized on a triennial basis in connection with the ISSA Regional Social Security Forum (RSSF). In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s RSSF Africa that was to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, has been postponed to 2021. The winner of the 2020 ISSA Good Practice Award for Africa will therefore be announced at next year’s regional forum.
The rich contributions from African members show the deliberate strides and advances that social security is making in this large and diverse region. These good practices also show that social security administrators are principal partners in achieving a country’s vision on sustainable growth and socially inclusive development. They support the four priority themes of the ISSA for the 2020-2022 triennium. In many cases, a good practice responds simultaneously to a multiple of these priorities.
- Priority 1: The future of social security administration and management
Many of the submitted good practices show Africa’s latest achievements on this priority theme through digital transformation and improvements in governance, communication, enforcing compliance, and service delivery.
- Priority 2: Meeting the evolving needs of an ageing population
A number of the submitted good practices illustrates how Africa is effectively responding to the evolving needs of ageing through innovations in coverage extension and health as well as better services in the region’s pension, disability, occupational accidents & diseases, and maternity programmes.
- Priority 3: Social security coverage in a changing world
Similarly, a number of the submitted good practices reveals that Africa is ably extending social security coverage by building social security awareness at the grassroots level and by innovating online services, serving difficult-to-reach populations, formalization and developing a better understanding of member needs.
- Priority 4: The role of social security in promoting inclusive growth and social cohesion
There are also good practices that present Africa’s efforts to use social security as an instrument for inclusive growth and social cohesion. Benefit enhancements, coverage of the informal sector, and support for entrepreneurship, housing and a sustainable environment are among the key focus areas of the region.
There is every good reason to commend and celebrate these new and wide-ranging accomplishments of ISSA member institutions in Africa. These good practices will be highlighted during the RSSF Africa in 2021 where the winner and the recipients of the ISSA Certificates of Merit and Attestations will be officially honoured and recognized.
Participating institutions
Algeria
- National Social Insurance Fund for Employees
- National Social Security Fund for Non-Salaried Workers
Benin
- National Pension Fund
Burundi
- Mutual Benefit Society for Public Employees
- The National Pension and Occupational Risks Office for Civil Servants, Magistrates and Judicial Personnel
Cabo Verde
- National Social Insurance Institute
Cameroon
- National Social Insurance Fund
Central African Republic
- National Social Security Fund
Comoros
- Pension Fund of the Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- National Social Security Fund
- National Social Security Fund of Public State Employees
Côte d’Ivoire
- Social Insurance Institute – National Social Insurance Fund
- Social Insurance Institute – State Employees’ General Retirement Fund
Djibouti
- National Social Security Fund
Eswatini
- Eswatini National Provident Fund
Gabon
- National Social Security Fund
Guinea
- National Social Security Fund
Kenya
- Local Authorities Pension Trust
- National Social Security Fund
Liberia
- National Social Security and Welfare Corporation
Libya
- Social Security Fund
Mali
- National Social Insurance Institute
Mauritania
- National Sickness Insurance Fund
Morocco
- CDG Insurance
- Interprofessional Retirement Fund
- Pension Fund of Morocco
Mozambique
- National Institute of Social Security
Namibia
- Social Security Commission
Nigeria
- Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund
Seychelles
- Seychelles Pension Fund
Togo
- National Institute of Health Insurance
- National Social Security Fund
Tunisia
- National Health Insurance Fund
- National Social Security Fund
Uganda
- National Social Security Fund
Zimbabwe
- National Social Security Authority