The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has ramped up its social grant review programme, suspending roughly 70,000 grants for non-compliance after reviewing 240,000 beneficiaries, a move driven by stricter National Treasury conditions.
Speaking to Parliament on Thursday during the agency’s third-quarter briefing, Sassa CEO Themba Matlou revealed that the crackdown has saved the government approximately R44-million per month, translating to nearly R500-million annually. Close to 495,000 people have been flagged through income verification as potentially ineligible, with nearly 400,000 beneficiaries notified that their status is under review.
To strengthen oversight, Sassa has expanded partnerships with credit bureaus, banks, the South African Revenue Service, NSFAS, government payroll systems, and correctional services. These data-matching efforts target undeclared income, employment, or changed circumstances that disqualify recipients from continued support.
In the third quarter alone, 162,000 beneficiaries were selected for additional verification, while 201,000 were identified through government payroll data as possibly receiving grants despite state employment. About 25,000 letters were issued in December requesting in-person reviews.
With nearly 45% of South Africa’s population reliant on grants, the stakes are high. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana recently extended the Social Relief of Distress grant until March 2027, while the Department of Social Development has been allocated R260-billion for 2026/27 and R271-billion for 2027/28.
