From decolonisation and nation-building after independence to structural adjustments to the implementation of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and, more recently, of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, social policy reform in sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed gradual changes but also more sudden and dramatic episodes caused by global crisis, including the recent worldwide pandemic. This Introduction to The State and the Imperative for Social Policy Reform in Africa explains how the volume explores social policy changes that have been made before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes that need to be made towards protecting individuals, families, and communities against exposure to insecurity, poverty, and other vulnerabilities throughout the lifecycle. The Introduction is divided into three main sections. The first section offers a brief overview of social policy development in sub-Saharan Africa since the colonial era. The second section provides a short discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath on the African continent. Finally, the last section offers an overview of the chapters that comprise the volume.