The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is implementing mandatory biometric enrolment across all its offices from 1 September, marking a significant step towards modernising the country’s social grant system and eliminating fraudulent activities.
In a statement, CEO Themba Matlou expressed relief to finally be launching the programme after resolving delays caused by labour disputes.
“Our plans were to commence with biometric enrolment at the beginning of the 2025/2026 financial year, however we hit a snag, but we have ironed out the issues that delayed our plans and it is all systems go for the implementation,” he said.
This groundbreaking initiative represents what SASSA describes as “a new digital era” designed to revolutionise social grant administration. The biometric system will serve as an early detection mechanism to identify and prevent fraudulent activities before they compromise the grant system’s integrity.
All grant applications captured and approved from 1 September, must include biometric data.
Applications submitted without biometric data will immediately be placed into a review cycle, with clients notified of the requirement to capture biometrics.
The biometric enrolment addresses critical vulnerabilities in the current system, particularly the challenge of detecting forged green Identity Documents that frontline staff cannot reliably identify.
The new system will ensure every grant recipient is verifiably authentic and that SASSA’s systems remain resilient against manipulation and error.
Key benefits include: • Significant reduction in fraudulent applications and duplicate payments
• Reliable verification of beneficiary authenticity and proof of life
• Reduction in inclusion errors and streamlined documentation processes
• Enhanced audit outcomes and stronger record integrity
• Improved public trust in the Social Assistance Programme
