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SASSA Stats: The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) oversees the administration and payment of social grants in South Africa. With over 18 million grant recipients as of 2022, SASSA distributes over R200 billion ($12 billion) in social assistance every year. This makes SASSA’s grant system one of the largest of its kind globally.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore key statistics and data to better understand the scale and impact of SASSA’s social grants.

Overview of SASSA Stats

SASSA was established in 2004 under the Department of Social Development (DSD) to administer South Africa’s social assistance program. Its mandate includes:

– Managing the disbursement of social grants nationally

– Enrolling eligible beneficiaries for grants

– Preventing fraud and corruption in the grants system

SASSA provides regular statistical reports and data on its operations. This helps provide transparency and insights into the social grants system.

Key SASSA Statistics

Here are some key stats and figures on SASSA’s social grants:

18.3 million – Total number of grant recipients as of March 2022

R204 billion – Total value of all social grants distributed in 2021/22 fiscal year

75% – Percentage of total grant expenditure spent on child support grants

R495 – Average monthly value of old age pension grant as of April 2022

R270 billion – Total SASSA budget for 2022/23 fiscal year

This data highlights the massive scale of South Africa’s social assistance program. Next, we’ll break down the stats for specific grant types.

Child Support Grant

12.7 million – Total child support grant beneficiaries in March 2022

59% – Percentage of all grant recipients receiving child support grants

R480 – Monthly value of child support grant as of April 2022

Children under 18 years – Eligibility criteria for child support grant

The child support grant has the most beneficiaries of all grant types. It provides crucial assistance to low-income households with children.

Old Age Pension Grant

3.5 million – Total old age grant beneficiaries in March 2022 

R495 – Monthly value for old age grant recipients over 75 years

R1950 – Maximum monthly income to qualify for old age grant

60 years (women) – Minimum age for old age grant eligibility

65 years (men) – Minimum age for old age grant eligibility

The old age grant provides a vital safety net for low-income seniors. Its uptake is nearly universal for eligible individuals 60+ years old.

Disability Grant

1.1 million – Total disability grant beneficiaries in March 2022

R1860 – Monthly value of disability grant as of April 2022 

R7920 – Maximum monthly income to qualify for disability grant

18 to 59 years – Eligibility age range for disability grant

The disability grant provides income assistance to working-age South Africans with long-term physical or mental disabilities.

Other Grant Types

Care dependency grant – 380,000 beneficiaries

Foster child grant – 270,000 beneficiaries

Grant-in-aid – 132,000 beneficiaries

Social relief of distress – 9 million temporary beneficiaries during COVID-19 pandemic

These grants provide assistance for specific situations like foster parenting, aid workers, or disaster relief.

Impact of Grants

South Africa’s social grants have a significant impact on reducing poverty and inequality. Some key effects include:

– Grants reduced the poverty headcount rate by 8 percentage points in 2020.

– Child support grants helped lower child hunger rates by 30% between 2002-2015.

– Grants account for nearly 3.5% of South Africa’s total GDP.

– About 43% of South Africans live in households receiving social grants.

Challenges Facing SASSA

While the agency distributes billions in grants efficiently, SASSA faces some key challenges:

Fraud – Estimated 7-10% of grants are obtained fraudulently costing billions in losses.

Corruption – Corrupt officials and financial service providers exploit the grants system.

Payment issues – Beneficiaries sometimes face obstacles receiving grant disbursements on time.

Enrolments gaps – Millions of eligible children are not enrolled for the child support grant.

Ongoing efforts to digitize and reform SASSA’s operations aim to overcome these challenges.

Looking Ahead

SASSA plays a pivotal role in supporting South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens through social grants. As the agency expands its operations in the coming years, up-to-date data and statistics will continue providing insights into the grants system. Monitoring key metrics around enrolment, disbursements, and impact will be essential for informing effective reforms and policies.

See Also SASSA Grant Calculator: A Comprehensive Guide for 2023 – Online SASSA Status Check Grant : R350 SRD SASSA Status Check (online-sassa-status-check.co.za)

References

1. Department of Social Development Annual Report 2021/22. https://www.gov.za/

2. SASSA Annual Report 2021/2022. https://www.sassa.gov.za/

3. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://www.un.org/development/desa/

4. World Bank Data on Safety Nets. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/safety-nets

5. Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/