When SASSA announced a R10 increase to its core social grants effective 1 October 2025, millions of South Africans felt a brief flicker of relief.
The South African Republic will see the first disbursement under the new rates hit old‑age beneficiaries on Thursday, 2 October, followed by disability recipients on Friday, 3 October.
The adjustment lines up with the start of the October 2025 grant cycleSouth Africa, ensuring a seamless rollout.
Background: How South Africa’s grant system works
Since the early 2000s, the South African nation has relied on a tiered social‑security network managed by SASSA to cushion poverty. The agency hands out Old Age Grants, Disability Grants, Child Support Grants and several other cash‑based programmes to roughly 18 million citizens each month.
Poster child for the system’s longevity is the Old Age Grant, a R2 200 monthly payment introduced in 2005. Over the years, the figure has been nudged upward in line with inflation, but critics argue the pace has lagged behind the cost of living surge caused by global commodity price spikes.
Details of the R10 adjustment
On 28 September 2025, SASSA’s director of grants, Thabo Mokoena, gave a brief press briefing. He said the agency had completed a fiscal impact analysis that showed a R10 uplift would cost the state an extra R5 billion annually – a figure well within the National Treasury’s 2025‑26 budget envelope for social protection.
“It’s a modest, but meaningful, step for the millions who survive on a single grant each month,” Mokoena told reporters. “We are balancing fiscal responsibility with the moral imperative to keep our most vulnerable afloat.”
The increase applies uniformly across the three core grants:
- Old Age Grants rise from R2 200 to R2 210.
- Disability Grants climb from R2 150 to R2 160.
- Child Support Grants go from R1 530 to R1 540.
While R10 may look like pocket‑change, for a beneficiary living on R2 200 it translates to a 0.45 % boost – enough to add a few packets of rice or a litre of cooking oil to the monthly budget.
Payment schedule for October 2025
SASSA released a detailed calendar to avoid confusion, especially after the agency’s banking relationship with Postbank wound down earlier this year.
- Old Age Grants – Thursday, 2 October 2025.
- Disability Grants – Friday, 3 October 2025.
- Child Support Grants – Saturday, 4 October 2025.
- Foster Care Grants – Sunday, 5 October 2025.
All payments will be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts or paid out at SASSA service points, depending on the individual’s chosen disbursement method.
Reactions from beneficiaries and experts
In the township of Soweto, 78‑year‑old pensioner Nonkululeko Dlamini welcomed the news. “It’s not a lot, but every Rand counts. With the price of maize flour going up, those extra ten Rands will help me buy an extra kilogram each month,” she said, smiling as she clutched her new grant statement.
Economist Lebo Mthembu of the University of Cape Town offered a slightly more cautious view. “In isolation the R10 bump does little to shift poverty metrics, but it signals that the government remains committed to incremental improvements despite fiscal pressures,” he noted.
The President Cyril Ramaphosa has not commented directly on the increase, but his administration’s recent budget speech highlighted a “targeted approach” to social spending, which aligns with SASSA’s modest raise.
Broader impact on households and the economy
According to the latest SASSA impact report, the grant programme lifts roughly 11 million people out of extreme poverty each year. A R10 increase, multiplied across the three core grants, injects about R150 million into household consumption every month.
That injection, while small, can help smooth seasonal price spikes that often hit informal traders in townships. “Even a marginal rise can stimulate demand for basic food items, which in turn supports local kiosks and market stalls,” says market analyst Thandiwe Nkosi of SRI Consulting.
Critics, however, argue that the government should look beyond incremental cash‑ups and address structural issues – such as unemployment, housing shortages, and the lingering backlog in grant payment processing that still leaves some beneficiaries waiting weeks for funds.
What’s next for SASSA?
Beyond the October rollout, SASSA is already mapping a three‑year plan that includes digitising beneficiary records, expanding mobile‑money disbursements, and negotiating a new partnership with a commercial bank to replace Postbank.
The agency also hinted at a possible review of the Child Support Grant ceiling later in 2026, though no precise figures have been disclosed.
For now, the R10 increase serves as a reminder that, even in a tight fiscal environment, the state can still find room to lift the most vulnerable – however modestly.
Key Facts
- Effective date: 1 October 2025.
- Increase amount: R10 per month for core grants.
- Annual cost to Treasury: ~R5 billion.
- First old‑age payment under new rates: Thursday, 2 October 2025.
- Beneficiaries affected: ~18 million South Africans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will the R10 increase affect pensioners on a daily basis?
Pensioners will see their monthly cash‑inflow rise from R2 200 to R2 210, which may cover an extra kilogram of staple maize flour or a few more household cleaning supplies. While the boost won’t erase poverty, it eases the tightest budget line items for many households.
Why did SASSA choose a modest R10 increase instead of a larger raise?
SASSA’s internal impact study showed that an R10 uplift balances the need for immediate relief with the broader fiscal constraints faced by the National Treasury. The figure fits within the 2025‑26 social‑protection budget while still delivering a tangible benefit.
What happens if a beneficiary’s bank account is not yet linked to SASSA?
Beneficiaries without a linked bank account can still collect their grants at any SASSA service point or designated community centre. The agency is accelerating its drive to digitise payments, but cash pick‑up remains an option until the new banking partnership is fully operational.
Will the R10 increase be applied to all grant categories?
The increase targets the three core cash grants – Old Age, Disability and Child Support. Other specialised grants, such as the Foster Care Grant, will be reviewed in a separate policy paper scheduled for early 2026.
How does this raise compare to past adjustments?
Historically, grant increases have been tied to inflation indexes, with jumps ranging from R20 to R50 in previous years. The R10 uplift is smaller than the 2021 R20 rise, reflecting the current economic strain and the government’s cautious fiscal stance.
Posts Comments
Maneesh Rajput Thakur October 1, 2025 AT 21:15
It’s worth noting that every modest policy tweak in a cash‑transfer system carries a hidden cost‑benefit equation that most citizens never see. The R10 bump might look trivial, but it disguises a deeper fiscal maneuver aimed at keeping the debt ceiling from flashing red lights. Think of it as a pressure valve – the government eases the immediate pain while quietly shifting the long‑term burden onto future taxpayers. In other words, the relief is real, but the sustainability remains a question.
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