The Department of Social Development, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the National Development Agency (NDA) have been praised for the sector’s improved performance during the 2024/2025 financial year. Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe addressed the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in Parliament, where she presented the annual reports of the department, Sassa and the NDA for the year under review.
Image credit: Sassa
Tolashe said the sector had worked hard to facilitate and enhance services to the needy and put food on the tables of many vulnerable households, while protecting the dignity of children and the elderly.
No one left behind
Some of the milestones of the 2024/2025 financial year were when she took over the office to stabilise the sector and fill all critical posts in the department and its entities, thus ensuring that they deliver on the core mandate.
“Other highlights for the year under review include the social assistance programme, which witnessed its largest expansion yet, reaching over 28 million eligible individuals.
“Of this number, more than 13.1 million are children who benefited from the Child Support Grant, while about 4.1 million older persons were recipients of the Old Age Grant.
“Realising the pledge to ensure that no one is left behind demands that we remain focused on our unwavering commitment to tackle child and adult poverty now and in the future,” said the minister.
She said she was delighted that Sassa had improved over time, overcoming weaknesses identified in previous financial years.
In 2024/2025, Sassa spent a total of R267bn on social grants, including the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress, which benefitted more than nine million beneficiaries, adding that the normal social grants also increased by 0.6%, from 19.1 million in March 2024 to 19.2 million beneficiaries in March 2025.
Persistent challenges
She, however, acknowledged that challenges persist and recommitted Sassa to meticulously addressing all the challenges faced by beneficiaries daily and improving customer experience.
“I have travelled across the country and listened to customers and Sassa frontline employees who understand the operational changes they need to make to improve customer experience.
“Through the Integrated Community Outreach Programme, we are intensifying our reach to communities across the country.
"In this regard, I have directed the CEO and his team of executives to analyse these issues as raised by communities, prepare responses and provide timely feedback,” she said.
Tackling fraud
The minister was accompanied by Director-General Peter Netshipale, Sassa acting CEO Brenton Van Vrede, NDA acting CEO Raphaahle Ramokgopa and executives from the social development sector.
Van Vrede said Sassa had been tough on fraud and corruption, finalising 478 reported cases out of 483.
Some of these cases include the following:
- Sassa, the South African Police Service and National Credit Regulator arrested and opened 23 criminal cases against money lenders who were found with Sassa cards in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape.
- The arrest of eight officials in Gauteng on fraud-related charges.
- The detection of online change of payment method without the consent of the beneficiaries in the Free State, Western Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
- The fraudulent old age grant captured and verified at Zwide Local Office in the Eastern Cape.
- The detection of Sassa officials who were colluding among themselves by generating fraudulent grants in Mpumalanga.
- A North West official was arrested for soliciting a bribe from a beneficiary.
Van Vrede said the agency had processed 1.8 million grant applications against the targeted 1.6 million.
He also said that 98% was achieved in processing the Covid-19 SRD applications against the 95% target.
