Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk
Journal Data
| Type | JOURNAL |
|---|---|
| Publisher | University of Stellenbosch (ZA) |
| ISSN | 2312-7198 / 0037-8054 |
| Scopus | 14594 |
| OpenAlex | S2739462247 |
| Website | https://socialwork.journals.ac.za/pub/index |
| Total publications | 251 |
| Coverage period | 2014 - 2026 |
| Country | ZA |
| Language | EN |
| Access | Open Access |
| Indexing | DOAJ indexed • Scopus indexed |
| Impact factor | 0.68 |
| SJR | 0.302 (Q2) |
| SNIP | 0.637 |
| CiteScore | 1.1 |
| Female authorship share | 59.0% |
This journal focuses on social work, an applied social science discipline. While it addresses social issues, its primary orientation is practical and policy-driven, placing it within broader social science with only loose intersection with social anthropology
Sociology and Political Science · Social Work · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child Welfare and Adoption · Children's Rights and Participation · Community Development and Social Impact · Community Health and Development · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics
Dancing to the beat of a new drum: Harambee for sustainable shared futures in social work education and practice in Africa
The editorial in this extended issue of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk reflects on the ongoing transformation of social work education and practice in Africa towards more indigenised, Afrocentric and contextually relevant approaches. Particular attention is given to the role of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) in promoting Afrocentric social work education through collaboration, resource development and regional co-opera…
Milking into a leaking bucket: Rethinking social grants for community economic development in Kaalpan Rural Village, North West, South Africa
This article explores how social grants can be repositioned as drivers of community economic development (CED) in rural South Africa. The study aimed to examine the role of grants in shaping local economic activity, assess patterns of economic leakage, and identify strategies to retain and leverage grant flows for sustainable livelihoods. The guiding research question was: How can social grants be harnessed to promote community-level economic dev…
Reflections on social development: Past, present and future
This article contributes to a collection of especially commissioned papers to mark the 60th anniversary of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk. Reflecting the author’s personal views on the past, present and likely future trajectory of social development, he contends that there has been significant progress, but also severe setbacks that have fostered the currently pessimistic views of the field. Nevertheless, he contends that stubborn optimism is need…
Perspectives of presiding officers and state prosecutors on the expected quality of forensic social workers’ court reports
The Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, stipulates in Section 54 that individuals with knowledge of sexual offences committed against children must report this information to authorities (Republic of South Africa [RSA], 2007). As a result of limited corroborative evidence in many cases of child sexual violence (CSV), forensic social workers often conduct investigations and serve as expert witnesses in court. The court i…
Cultural challenges of young black widows in Mangaung in the Free State, South Africa
Young black widows in Mangaung, in the Free State Province of South Africa, experience particular cultural challenges once their partners pass away. The aim of this article was to explore and describe these cultural challenges and identify strategies for the empowerment of widows within their communities. Utilising a qualitative approach, 16 widows (ages 24-40) were sampled using both purposive and snowball sampling. Focus groups, individual in-d…
Advancing the recruitment of state witnesses through social work interventions: A South African perspective
Protection of witnesses has gained prominence as a strategy to fight crime. While witness protection programmes have proven effective in helping individuals to testify without fear, many South Africans and social workers remain unaware of how such programmes work, whether they exist at all, or how to access them when their safety is at risk. The purpose of this article is to highlight the social work intervention strategies that can be integrated…
Strengthening Zimbabwean migrant families in South Africa: Insights from second-generation migrants and professionals
This article explores the strengthening of Zimbabwean migrant families through a qualitative study on the integration experiences of second-generation migrants in Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 16 second-generation migrants from various socio-economic backgrounds, who were born in or migrated to South Africa before adolescence, as well as with 10 expert contributors from the fiel…
Social work, climate change and environmental justice: Assessing claims of social work’s transformative role
Considering increasing policy and scholarly claims that social work operates at the frontline of climate change, disaster response and environmental justice, this paper critically examines whether such claims are supported by empirical evidence. It addresses the central question of whether social work demonstrates a transformative, evidence-based role in advancing environmental outcomes. Drawing on a critical review of the environmental social wo…
Vicarious traumatisation: Experiences of social workers working with intimate partner violence victims in victim empowerment programmes
This study sought to investigate the experiences of a cohort of social workers who primarily work with women who have been victimised by their intimate partners within victim empowerment programmes (VEPs). It explores the nature of vicarious trauma, its impact on social workers, and strategies for recognising, managing, and mitigating its effects. Six social workers participated in individual semi-structured interviews as part of a broader study …
The resilience of social workers rendering services to nyaope-dependent youths
The concept of resilience is increasingly gaining universal recognition among helping professionals and social scientists. It explains the complexities and responses of individuals, groups and communities to stressful, emotional, depressive, traumatic and challenging situations. Since social work is considered an emotionally demanding profession, resilience is a highly relevant concept that forms the theoretical basis of the article. This study u…
Social work associations: Towards unified professional voices
Professional social work associations represent the collective conscience and strategic voice of the profession. In diverse contexts, they provide platforms through which practitioners advance professional standards, advocate for social justice, influence policy and consolidate professional identity. Engagement in such associations is therefore not a peripheral activity but a fundamental aspect of ethical and accountable social work practice. Thr…
Community development in the 21st century: Empowerment for breaking the cycle of poverty
This edition provides a valuable overview of practitioner competencies and situates community development within the local government and policy environment. The expanded discussion on professionalisation reflects broader government efforts to formalise community development practice within occupational frameworks. This aligns with broader public sector transformation objectives and the recognition of community development as a professionalised f…
Groupwork and Afrocentric perspectives in social work education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal: A transformative autoethnographic journey
Social work with groups serves as a vital method for groupwork facilitating healing and promoting social interventions. Historically, Western theories have shaped South African social work, often overlooking indigenous knowledge and cultural practices, which has led to criticism for failing to address African sociocultural dynamics. As a result, the University of KwaZulu-Natal Social Work Department, in collaboration with the Ma’at Institute, int…
Preparing for a bibliometric study of environmental social work
This research note describes the processes undertaken in preparation for a bibliometric study of environmental social work and the decisions made in selecting the literature that is relevant to this domain of study. Given the conceptual breadth of the field, the first step involved the clarification of epistemic boundaries as a prerequisite for meaningful cumulative knowledge production in this area of research. The research note, therefore, outl…
Social work, child support grants and child care in the first 1,000 days: A case study of disposable nappy expenditure in Calvinia-West, South Africa
The first 1,000 days after birth are a critical period in a child’s development, as this phase establishes the foundation of the child’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social welfare. South Africa’s child support grant (CSG), which aims to provide financial assistance to primary caregivers of children in low-income households, therefore has a substantial impact on children’s growth and development. A basic good that greatly “dilutes” the valu…
The process of social work intervention in addressing the substance use challenges of young people
Social workers play a vital role in the provision of services to young people in South Africa who are experiencing substance use challenges. Importantly, social workers serve as the primary point of contact for young people seeking treatment for substance use challenges. This study sought to investigate the process of social work intervention in the provision of substance use services to young people. The data were collected from 11 social worker…
Factors affecting the effectiveness of diversion programmes for children in conflict with the law
The main objective of this qualitative study was to investigate the factors that affect the effectiveness of diversion programmes for children in conflict with the law. Data were generated from in-depth semi-structured interviews that were conducted with probation officers. Data were analysed using Tesch's framework for thematic analysis. Exploratory, contextual and phenomenological research designs were employed to analyse the data collected. Th…
“What I knew until I didn’t”: When theory meets practice in the South African victim empowerment social work reality
This note from practice examines and reflects the transition from social work education to frontline practice in South Africa’s victim empowerment sector, focusing on newly qualified practitioners working with survivors and perpetrators of gender-based violence. Drawing on experiential learning, client narratives and professional reflection, it explores how the implementation of theory encounters complex realities characterised by poverty, system…
Reframing social work in a Pan-African agenda: An Afrocentric approach to combatting gender-based violence
Despite the growing discourse on the Africanisation of social work and the urgent need to address gender-based violence in South Africa, there remains a significant disconnect between theory and practice. Most existing GBV interventions rely on Eurocentric models that overlook indigenous African knowledge systems, communal worldviews and the historical context of colonisation, apartheid and patriarchy. Using a conceptual literature review methodo…
Social workers’ perspectives and recommendations with regard to the training needs of social work supervisors
Social work supervision is vital for the success of social work practice. A shift towards a developmental paradigm to address community needs and reduce inequality has increased the demand for social work services and put a stronger focus on supervision to support social workers. However, current supervision practices are not aligned with this developmental paradigm, and supervisors often lack the necessary training to provide adequate support. T…
Housing challenges encountered by single mothers heading households in Tyutyu Village, Bhisho Eastern Cape, South Africa
Access to social and economic opportunities, such as housing and property rights, remains gendered in many developing countries such as South Africa due to institutionalised forms of exclusion. Focusing on rural female-headed households (FHHs), this descriptive qualitative study explored the interconnectedness between housing and rurality challenges in Tyutyu Village, Bhisho, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study applied purposive sampling to sel…
From Copenhagen to Doha: A critical reflection on the reconfiguring of social development, knowledge and authority through global social work
Thirty years after the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the Second World Summit in Doha in 2025 offered an opportunity to reconsider how social development is understood and governed. This paper examines the shift from state-centred political commitment towards more distributed and multi-actor forms of governance. Drawing on a governmentality perspective, it explores how social development is framed across key summit documents, …
Barriers to the implementation of a gender-sensitive, child-centred and conflict-sensitive approach in the identification, documentation, tracing, rehabilitation and reintegration (IDTRR) of child sex…
Despite the existence of a formal identification, documentation, tracing, rehabilitation and reintegration (IDTRR) framework for addressing child abuse cases, implementation in Zimbabwe remains fraught with systemic and structural barriers. This study explored the lived experiences of social workers engaged in IDTRR to understand the obstacles to implementing a gender-centred, child-centred and conflict-sensitive approach towards child exploitati…
The therapeutic role of horses in equine-based therapy: An exploratory study with South African mental health practitioners
Recently published literature on the use of equines in a therapeutic context has explored the connection between humans and horses in addressing social, educational, emotional and mental health challenges amongst clients presenting with various psycho-social problems. Despite the growing momentum around the therapeutic value of the human-horse connection, there is still little published literature on equine-based therapy and the role of the horse…
A provincial strategy to empower adult persons experiencing street homelessness from vulnerability: The case of Gauteng Province in South Africa
South Africa has had to deal with several uncertainties, with the COVID-19 pandemic accentuating the existing vulnerabilities, which include homeless people living on the street. Inadequate provision of housing and the resultant street homelessness undermine human dignity. In 2020, the Gauteng Provincial Government mandated its Department of Social Development to develop a multisectoral strategy to coordinate responses to homelessness. This comme…
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Faith-Based Organisations in the Context of Social Welfare and Development in South Africa: Towards a Conceptualisation
In South Africa the state strongly expects the religious sector – or more specifically thecollectivity of faith-based organisations constituting this sector – to make a meaningfulcontribution towards the country’s struggle against poverty and HIV and AIDS (Koegelenberg,2001, 2007; Swart, 2008). The debate on the role and contribution of faith-based organisations(hereafter FBOs) in social welfare and social development is not unique to South Afric…
Challenges for Building Partnerships in Social Development
The primary goal of partnerships in social development is to strategically join efforts to reduce poverty, address inequalities and social injustices through the redistribution of resources, and through social and economic development programmes. This can only be achieved when there is a true commitment from all partners involved to take up the challenges of building partnerships which could provide a negotiated framework for a partnership strate…
A Critical Review of Resilience Theory and Its Relevance for Social Work
As resilience theory gains traction as a theoretical framework for research in social work, it is important to engage with it critically. This article provides a critical review of resilience theory, drawing on an array of key authors, dating back fifty years. The review addresses three aspects of resilience theory: its definition, the construction of adversity and outcomes, and the nature and scope of resilience processes. The relevance of resil…
The Development of a Culturally-Appropriate Marriage Enrichment Programme for Black African Married Couples: Overview of Programmes
Development of knowledge on how to support marriages cross-culturally is necessary to inform appropriate solutions, especially for South Africa, where practical marital challenges amongst Black African married couples who are considered to be high risk are noted. The focus of this narrative literature-informed overview is to provide an appraisal of existing and most effective national and international marriage enrichment (ME) programmes, couples…
Consequences Experienced by Women Survivors of Human Trafficking in South Africa
Trafficking of women for domestic and sexual exploitation has devastating consequences for women survivors rescued in South Africa. Empirical findings revealed that women survivors of human trafficking (WSHT) suffer and endure intense and unspeakable traumatic physical, sexual, psychological, economic and social experiences. Trafficked women are denied fundamental human rights, including basic and broadly accepted individual freedoms. The article…
Revisiting Gender and Housing: Housing as Seen Through the Eyes of Women in Social Rental Housing in Gauteng, South Africa
This paper reports part of the findings of a bigger qualitative study which explored the role of social rental housing in housing delivery in South Africa. Through purposive sampling, the study selected three housing institutions from Gauteng and two from the Western Cape. From each, the study conducted a focus group discussion with beneficiaries. This paper is based on the findings from the two focus group discussions with women in Gauteng. Find…
A Co-Constructed Practice Model for Supporting Parents of Children in Conflict With the Law
The ecological systems theory and the buffering effect model both suggest that the absence of a multi-systemic conceptualisation of supporting parents of children in conflict with the law (CCL) diminishes the impact of traditional generic efforts to meaningfully buffer parents of CCL during the child justice process. This participatory qualitative study involved parents of CCL and child justice officials as co-constructors of a practice model for…
Psychosocial Deficits Associated With Teenagers Born and Raised in a “Small-House” Family Setting in Cherutombo in Marondera, Zimbabwe
The family as a sacrosanct conduit of care and protection, as well as a forum for the socialisation of children is increasingly being threatened in Zimbabwe by the exponentially growing impact of the small-house phenomenon (clandestine extramarital affairs). This article reports on a qualitative study, which established that being born and raised in a small-house family is associated with feelings of rejection, loneliness, loss of identity, low s…
The Legal and Ethical Obligations of School Social Workers
In recent years social workers have been appointed in some schools on the assumption that social work services can contribute towards improving education in schools by supporting the psychosocial development of learners. Social workers not only place a high priority on ethical conduct, but as custodians of the Children’s Act, they also have distinct legal obligations towards children. However, social work ethics and these legal obligations could …
The Dilemma Faced by Npos in Retaining Social Workers: A Call to Revisit the Retention Strategy
The high turnover of social workers in the non-profit organisations (NPOs) sector in South Africa is a major problem that requires further investigation despite the number of studies that have already been conducted in this area. This qualitative study seeks to contribute to the retention of social workers in the NPO sector, and is based on an exploratory survey of the various factors that lead to high social worker turnover. The findings of this…
Re-Positioning Social Work in the Agenda to Deal With Violence Against Women and South Africa’s Triple Challenges
Violence against women (VAW) and the South African triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality are on the national agenda and require urgent attention from all stakeholders. Although social work is ethically bound to deal with VAW, poverty, unemployment and inequality, its voice in the fight against them is silent. Current interventions to address these social challenges have gaps. This article reviews literature to re-position soci…
The Role of Social Workers in Curbing Girl Marriages: A Famsa Case Study
Girl marriage is a global problem which is also prevalent in South Africa. It imposes on the rights of children and is recognised as a harmful practice (United Nations, 2015). This paper reports on a case study with social workers of the Families and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA) in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. The study concludes that the developmental approach presents a framework for social workers to curb girl marriages. Resources…
Resilience Characteristics of Families With Children With Severe or Profound Intellectual Disability
The aim of this study was to explore family characteristics and resources that assisted families to adapt after their children had been diagnosed with severe or profound intellectual disability. A qualitative research approach with a cross-sectional design was used, as the study was focused on participants’ experiences. It was found that spiritual resources and reformulation of the crisis helped families to reframe their experiences with a more p…
Suggestions From Social Work Doctoral Graduates on What Aspirants Need to Know Before Enrolment
The complexity of societal needs in a new democracy requires a high level of human resources to facilitate transformation among individuals, groups, as well as in society to enhance human circumstances. This requires a distinct contribution to knowledge-building and practice through doctoral research. Six suggestions offered by doctoral graduates indicate that during preparation for this learning journey, aspirants should want to pursue viable to…
“A License to Leave South Africa”: A Qualitative Study of South African Parents’ Narratives of Their Children’s Reasons for Emigration
The number of South Africans citizens emigrating abroad has increased dramatically, resulting in a multitude of parents remaining behind. This qualitative phenomenological study explored and described the reasons for the emigration of adult children of predominantly white South African parents. Multiple motivating factors validated the emigration, namely the South African political climate, violent crime, lack of employment opportunities and high…
The Fourfold Neoliberal Impact on Social Work and Why This Matters in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond
While social welfare policy forms a cornerstone of the social work profession, economic policy and its interactions often remain distant and of academic interest only. In this paper the authors argue that understanding how economic policy is impacting upon the profession is important for its day-to-day practice. This has become ever more apparent in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affirmed social work as an essential service. In part…
“It Doesn’t Matter How Many (Cases) You Got, if You Love the Job, You Can Manage Everything”: Management Strategies Utilised by Frontline Social Workers
The adoption of the social development approach in South African social service organisations continues to challenge and stretch organisations in many directions. The frontline social worker navigating this terrain, carrying the bulk of direct services and undertaking various management tasks, is confronted with personal trauma, resource constraints, organisational issues, ethical dilemmas as well as the pressure of inclusive and representative s…
Evaluation of an Hiv and Aids Social Intervention Programme for the Youth in the Northern Cape, South Africa
The study focuses on a qualitative evaluation of the Soul City Social Intervention Programme (SCP) on HIV and AIDS targeted at the youth in the Northern Cape province, South Africa. The evaluation was implemented through a qualitative study, operationalised through an instrumental case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 SCP field workers. Thematic analysis crystallised into two themes. Theme 1 focuses on …
Motivational Factors for Caring for People Living With Hiv in South Africa: Home-Based Caregivers’ Experiences
This qualitative study, based on Loretta Williams’s middle-range theory of caregiving dynamics, explores and describes the motivations of home-based caregivers in caring for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five home-based caregivers from three provinces of South Africa. The study underscores Williams’s theory. It revealed that caregivers are motivated by experiencing caregiving as a divine cal…
Playing the Second Fiddle - The Experiences, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Concerned Significant Others of Partners With a Substance Use Disorder: Informing Social Work Interventions
Substance abuse constantly wreaks havoc on families. A family member’s substance use disorder (SUD) repeatedly turns a home into a volatile, toxic environment, immersing concerned significant others (CSOs) in a state of confusion and hardship, forcing them to sacrifice their own energies and resources in order to manage this aberration in their midst, often to the extent that they eventually adopt maladaptive behaviours themselves to survive. Whe…
Transforming Social Work: Contextualised Social Work Education in South Africa
Despite significant transformation efforts in South African social welfare, social work education still inducts students into prevailing paradigms. Critics suggest that dominant social work is ineffective in that it is culturally inappropriate, marginalises other knowledges, overlooks structural issues, is expensive and is mismatched to local needs. The term “contextualised social work education” as used in this article incorporates the local foc…
Exploring the Barriers That Prevent Practitioners From Implementing Motivational Interviewing in Their Work With Clients
Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counselling technique that is used by psychologists, doctors, nurses, midwives and social workers as an effective intervention aimed at behavioural change. Despite its efficacy, it is not commonly used in South Africa. Our aim was to explore the barriers that social and health practitioners who were trained in administering MI experienced in implementing MI in their work with clients. We used a …
The Current Landscape of Child Protection Services in South Africa: A Systematic Review
African Spirituality: Unearthing Beliefs and Practices for the Helping Professions
Empirical work related to African spirituality in the social sciences, particularly within the social work context, is sparse. It is crucial that practitioners have a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices that can support therapeutic goals in practice. Using qualitative research methodology, 20 child and youth care students at a selected university in South Africa, who are proponents of African spirituality, were interviewed with rega…
Interplay Between Substance Use and Health: Behavioural Dynamics Among Female Adolescents in Butterworth, South Africa
Using an exploratory and descriptive design, as well as interviews and focus group discussions with female adolescents, their parents, former users of substances, social workers, probation officers, community leaders, teachers and police (SAPS), the paper explores the interplay between substance use by female adolescents and their behaviour. Findings revealed that substances use among female adolescents motivated sexual behaviour, sexual engageme…