Picture: Sassa.
The Department of Social Development revealed that it allocated 19 137 524 South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) social grants a month in the 2023/24 financial year. This number excludes those who get a R370 Social Relief of Distress grant.
The number of grants is almost a third of South Africa’s population.
Child support and old age grants had the largest groups of beneficiaries.
These statistics were recently revealed by the Minister of Social Development’s office in response to a parliamentary question from the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Bridget Staff Masango.
Child support recipients aged 0-18 totalled 13 218 701, while 4 041 763 old-age beneficiaries received grants.
KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of child support recipients, totalling 3 007 403, followed by Gauteng (2 046 204), Limpopo (2 002 516), Eastern Cape (1 956 118), Mpumalanga (1 206 851), Western Cape (1 036 547), North West (917 393), Free State (709 323), and Northern Cape (336 346).
The detailed breakdown includes care-dependency beneficiaries (165 764), disability grants (1 056 270), foster child grants (253 256), grant-in-aid recipients (401 761), and just nine war veterans.
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DA MP Alexandra Lilian Amelia Abrahams asked about extending child support grants to vulnerable schoolchildren over the age of 18 until they complete their matric.
The minister’s office responded that the child support grant (CSG) currently covers children up to 18 years old and that there are other initiatives for those above this age.
“Currently beneficiaries who are aged out of the CSG may apply for the temporary Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (cSRD) grant,” the department stated.
It said it is developing a long-term policy to replace the cSRD.
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An elderly advocacy group, The Association for the Aged (Tafta), provided an assessment of the inadequacy of the old age grant.
“The Sassa old age grant is clearly not sufficient to live on. And the extra R20 you get if you are 75 years or older makes very little difference. Little wonder then that life is a daily struggle for South Africa’s state pensioners,” it said in a previous statement.
Tafta highlighted the broader context of elderly support: “During their working lives, the majority did not earn enough to support their families, let alone save for their retirement. So when they reach their 60s and 70s, they have no other income. Almost half of all pensioners in South Africa (47%) have to rely on their families or friends to support them financially.”
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The organisation noted that affordable accommodation is crucial.
“If you are able to move in with grown-up children or friends, you may be able to live rent free or pay only a small portion towards the cost. People who live together can also save by sharing meals and other expenses like transport.”
However, Tafta warned of a “bleak outlook for those with no families”, emphasising the critical nature of social support for the most vulnerable populations.
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