The South African government is aiding a reported 18 million citizens to overcome extreme poverty in 2023 through the SASSA grant programme. This number has increased from 2.5 million in 1999 and does not include beneficiaries of the COVID Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 Grant. The SASSA Online Application Process has simplified the process of receiving vital assistance from the government. The SRD initiative was introduced to mitigate the effects of the job losses that were experienced during the lockdown period.
South African SASSA Recipients are Benefiting from the Opportunities Grants Create
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu indicated, in response to a question from DA MP Alexandra Abrahams, that since 2019, 49 449 beneficiaries and 12 362 households that receive social grants have been linked to economic and employment opportunities. Of these opportunities, Gauteng created more than half, about 26,000. Households that received a social grant can be linked to sustainable livelihoods.
SASSA has annual performance targets that include the objective of linking grants to community development. Activities that support these targets include the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
SASSA Online Applications: Applying for a SASSA Grant has Never Been Easier
SASSA has published the number of SASSA grant applications it processed successfully in June 2023, including SASSA online applications. There are currently 8 types of grants that are available to needful South Africans and new applications for June looked like this:
| Type of Grant: | Applications Processed in June 2023: |
| Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 | 19,135 |
| Child Support Grant | 81,295 |
| Foster Child Grant | 2,719 |
| Disability Grant | 48,269 |
| Care Dependency Grant | 3,157 |
| Grand-in-Aid | 9,576 |
| Older Persons Grant | 27,866 |
| War Veteran Grant | 0 |
Should you want to join the millions of beneficiaries that are creating a better life for themselves through the programme, SASSA has made it easier for you to apply for a grant by offering SASSA online applications. The department is however urging applicants to ensure that they have the correct documents when they apply. This will ensure that the process goes smoothly.
For more on this, visit our article on the payment of SASSA grants here.
