Strategic Behavior and Social Safety Nets in Malawi: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of Poverty Program Participation
Redson Mwandama 
& Steven Dunga
Issue: Vol. 6 No.14 Article 2 pp. 3537 – 3549
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256142 | Published online 11th December, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Malawi has introduced social protection programs such as the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) to reduce poverty. However, their effectiveness is often undermined by misreporting, where households give false information to qualify for benefits, and by elite capture, where community leaders favor relatives or allies. The purpose of the study was to examine how these strategic behaviors shape participation and resource allocation within social safety nets. This study applies a qualitative game-theoretic approach, developing two models, the Eligibility Reporting Game and the Community Targeting Game, to analyze how these strategic behaviors affect program outcomes. The findings show that these actions create Nash equilibria in which dishonesty and favoritism persist, reducing fairness and efficiency. Policy recommendations include stronger verification systems, enhanced transparency, reduced elite discretion, and increased use of technology. The paper contributes to academic knowledge by applying game theory to explain why inefficiencies continue in Malawi’s safety nets and by providing a framework for designing interventions that shift incentives toward cooperation and equity.
Keywords: Social Protection, Game Theory, Strategic Behavior, Poverty Alleviation
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Redson Mwandama is a Master’s student in Economics at the University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi. His research interests include poverty dynamics, economic policy, development economics, and sustainable development.
Steven Henry Dunga is a Professor of Economics at North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. His research focuses on development economics, poverty analysis, and household welfare.
Mwandama, Redson, and Steven Dunga. “Strategic Behavior and Social Safety Nets in Malawi: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of Poverty Program Participation.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 14 (2025): 3537 – 3549, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256142.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
