This paper reports on a study that focused on women and social protection in South Africa post-1994. Drawing on public management theories, the study sought to understand the social protection programmes that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial government has in place, how they are structured and delivered, and whether they are sustainable and strategically aligned to promote women empowerment. The study was qualitative and employed a documentary review of policies, plans and reports of the Provincial Department of the Social Development Department in KZN. The study revealed that the Provincial Department of Social Development has taken bold steps to increase the number of social programmes, the number of beneficiaries, and the geographical spread of these beneficiaries. Despite this, however, there is a notable fragmentation in the manner that the programmes are delivered, leading to a lack of alignment between the social protection