China’s war on poverty: Key lessons for South Africa’s rural developmental stakeholders

Prior to China’s reform, the poverty count surpassed that of the whole African continent. However, within five years, the Chinese could reverse this narrative. Between 1980 and 2020, China lifted a staggering 800 million citizens out of poverty. By February 2021, the Chinese declared that the war on ‘absolute poverty’ had been won when measured using the standard equivalence of $2.30 a day per person. In consonance with the Chinese feat on poverty, the study examines the strategy adopted in defeating poverty and highlights fundamental lessons that rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa may embrace in achieving a similar feat. To achieve this aim, the study adopted a literature review alongside a desktop analysis in deducing critical lessons from the Chinese war on poverty that may apply to rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa. Hence, an extensive assemblage of earlier studies on Chinese poverty alleviation strategies was looked into systematically. The study highlights potential challenges the South African rural developmental stakeholders may face in an attempt to replicate the Chinese stratagem. The study thus concludes with practical steps rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa may adopt to create viable rural spaces devoid of egregious forms of poverty. Key Words:China’s poverty, Poverty, Rural development, Rural developmental stakeholders