As jobs disappear, wages flat-line and inequality grows, this timely book presents a compelling analysis of the need, conditions and possibilities for a universal basic income (UBI) in South Africa and beyond.

Highly topical and distinctive in its approach, In the Balance: The Case for a Universal Basic Income in South Africa and Beyond offers a robust and critical examination of a universal basic income.

Placing the debate in the urgent context of the crisis of work, floundering economies, global warming and social upheaval, Hein Marais’s approach shows the relevance of a UBI in conditions of gross inequality and pinpoints what it will take to implement and sustain such a policy.

Marais probes the social, political and economic implications of a basic income, discusses financing options and presents cost estimates for different versions. Using the most current research evidence, this incisive study advances our understanding of the prospects for a UBI and its potential for shaping a more just and equitable society.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hein Marais is an independent writer and researcher specialising in political economy, development and public health. His previous books include Pushed to the Limit: The Political Economy of Change (2011); South Africa: Limits to Change – The Political Economy of Transition (2001), as well as Buckling: The Impact of AIDS in South Africa (2005).

'In the Balance: The case for a universal basic income in South Africa and beyond' is published by Wits University Press