The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social work managers and social work practitioners’ perceptions regarding the influence of neoliberalism and new managerialism in their daily functioning within the Child Welfare organisations in the eThekwini region, KwaZulu Natal. This study utilized a descriptive, interpretive design and adopted non-probability, purposive sample selection. The sample comprised four child welfare district offices and the umbrella body, namely Child Welfare South Africa. In addition, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with thirty social work practitioners and eight social work managers. The third data collection method comprised a document analysis of the financial policies of the respective child welfare organizations. Structural social work theory formed the conceptual foundation for the study which explored how organizational and financial factors influenced social work managers’ and social work practitioners’ daily functioning within a neoliberal and new managerial space. The findings reveal that within South African Child Welfare organisations, the tensions of new managerialism are experienced between boards of management and social work managers, between social work managers and social work practitioners and between boards of management and social work practitioners. Beyond these organizations, tensions also exist between social workers employed in government and the child welfare sector. The findings also reveal that despite social workers’ commitment to a transformative agenda to improve the lived realities of the poor and vulnerable, various contextual and national challenges continue to exist and persist within the neoliberal work environment. The neoliberal economist doctrine and marketization of child welfare services have had a detrimental effect on organizational relationships at the expense of social work’s commitment to equality and social justice. The study concludes that with restricted budgets and access to resources, social workers are left feeling despondent and helpless in meeting the optimal needs of their clients. This situation is seldom given attention by boards of management and policy directors. The study recommends that both social work managers and practitioners should respond as a collective to advocate for policy and managerial practice changes. Furthermore, social work managers and practitioners need to challenge structural oppressive systems by connecting with global, regional and local social work associations. The study proposes that within the transformative agenda, it is imperative to embrace Afrocentric practice, such that social work managers and practitioners can reclaim and promote local strengths and processes in responding to the developmental needs of the communities that they serve.