The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has outlined its performance targets for the upcoming financial year. These performances are targeted at reducing poverty, improving organisational efficiency, and enhancing customer service.
Sassa plays a critical role in South Africa as it provides financial relief in the form of social grants to vulnerable people living in the country.
Currently, there are more than 18 million people who rely on permanent grants from Sassa in addition to the millions of people benefitting from temporary relief mechanisms like the Social Relief of Distress Grant.
Permanent grants distributed by Sassa include the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.
The agency has outlined how it plans to improve its organisational efficiency and customer service to ensure that South Africa’s most vulnerable portion of the population has access to government support.
Social Assistance and Poverty Reduction
Sassa aims to process 1.6 million social grant applications in 2024/25, steadily increasing this number to 1.8 million by 2026/27. In the past year, the agency processed approximately 1.5 million applications, maintaining its commitment to support individuals unable to sustain themselves or their dependents.
Should Sasssa reach this target, the number of permanent grants being paid to beneficiaries in South Africa will increase to more than 20 million Sassa grant beneficiaries.
Children's Social Grants
A significant focus for Sassa over the next 12 months will be ensuring eligible children below one-years-old receive social grants. The target is set to reach 85% by 2026/27, up from an estimated 70% in 2023/24.
This initiative aims to reduce exclusions and provide essential support to the youngest members of society.
Improving SRD Grant Administration
Sassa has committed to processing 95% of SRD grant applications through to 2026/27.
This includes using a strict verification process to ensure that all applications, including those from asylum seekers and special permit holders, are accurately assessed and processed.
Improving Organisational Efficiency
Sassa says it is determined to improve its efficiency by reducing the turnaround times for grant applications.
By 2026/27, the agency plans to process 90% of new grant applications within five days. This is a significant goal from the previous 10-day target.
Enhancing Customer Experience
Customer service is another key area of focus. Sassa wants to resolve 90% of customer enquiries within five working days and 80% of disputes within 14 working days by 2026/27.
