Minister Promises Shorter SASSA Queues and R1.5 Billion in Savings

Social Development Minister Dina Pule announced on 21 July 2026 that SASSA will recruit more than 1,000 contract workers to provide frontline support at offices across the country. According to Ground Up, 127 of these workers have already been appointed with the remainder set to start on 1 August. The government has allocated R40 million for these appointments during the current financial year.

The minister also confirmed that the beneficiary review programme has been significantly scaled up. SASSA is targeting 350,000 grant recipients for review this financial year, compared to 240,000 last year. The expanded checks are projected to save R1.5 billion by identifying and stopping payments to people who are no longer eligible. Reviews include cross-checks against bank records, tax authority data and credit bureau information.

Pule framed the dual purpose clearly: “Reviews also protect the system against fraud, abuse and incorrect payments,” she told Ground Up, while also stating the measures will “restore dignity and respect to the people who consider social assistance as their lifeline.” The announcement covers all grant types across SASSA’s 19 million beneficiaries, which excludes SRD R370 recipients.

If you receive a notification that your grant is under review, you must respond promptly. Beneficiaries selected for review are typically contacted by SMS and may need to visit their nearest SASSA office with their original ID. Ignoring a review notice can lead to a grant suspension while the matter remains unresolved.

Source: Ground Up — “Minister promises shorter SASSA queues and R1.5-billion in savings” — 21 July 2026