In South Africa, social grants are a lifeline for more than 28 million people—nearly half the population. The latest announcement from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has sparked both hope and debate. Starting October 1, 2025, select social grants will see a modest R10 increase, fulfilling a commitment from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025/26 Budget Speech. But with food and fuel costs still high, is this “boost” transformative—or just a drop in the ocean?
This article breaks down the changes, shares stories from recipients, crunches the numbers on inflation, and highlights expert views. Whether you’re a beneficiary, policymaker, or concerned citizen, understanding these shifts is key to grasping South Africa’s social safety net in 2025.
What Are the October 2025 Sassa Grant Increases?
The R10 adjustment applies to most primary grants but notably excludes the Child Support Grant, which remains at R510 per child. This two-phase increase (the first came in April) aims to ease living costs, though critics say it falls short. Payments roll out on the usual schedule: Old Age Grants on October 2, Disability Grants on October 3, and Children’s Grants on October 6.
| Grant Type | Previous Amount (Sept 2025) | New Amount (Oct 2025) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Age Grant (60–74 years) | R2,310 | R2,320 | R10 |
| Old Age Grant (75+ years) | R2,330 | R2,340 | R10 |
| War Veterans Grant | R2,330 | R2,340 | R10 |
| Disability Grant | R2,310 | R2,320 | R10 |
| Care Dependency Grant | R2,310 | R2,320 | R10 |
| Child Support Grant | R510 | R510 | R0 |
| Foster Child Grant | R1,120 | R1,130 | R10 |
Source: Sassa official announcement, September 2025. The unchanged Child Support Grant—supporting 13.5 million children—has drawn sharp criticism.
Sassa CEO Themba Matlou stressed the agency’s commitment to timely payments, urging beneficiaries to collect funds gradually to avoid long queues at ATMs and paypoints.
Real Stories: How Grants Shape Daily Lives
Behind the numbers are real people navigating poverty’s sharp edges. A 2023 University of Cape Town study (updated in 2025) found that 47% of South Africans rely on grants, with nearly a third using them to support informal businesses like street vending or childcare.
Nomusa Dlamini*, a 68-year-old widow from Soweto, uses her Old Age Grant to cover school fees for her grandson. “That R2,310 was my everything,” she told Eyewitness News. With the R10 bump, she plans to buy an extra bag of maize meal but notes, “Petrol for the taxi to the clinic jumped R5 last month. It’s like the government gives with one hand and takes with the other.”
Thabo Nkosi*, a 45-year-old Disability Grant recipient from the Eastern Cape, explained to The Citizen that his grant covers medication and repairs to his crutches. “Now with R2,320, maybe I can afford veggies twice a week instead of once.” Yet delays in verification earlier this year left over 200,000 beneficiaries in limbo, heightening stress for families like his.
On social media, many recipients welcomed the increase but voiced frustration at the unchanged Child Support Grant. One X user wrote: “R10? My kids’ school shoes cost R200 more this year!”
Is the R10 Increase Enough?
South Africa’s inflation cooled to 3.3% in August 2025, down from 3.5% in July, within the South African Reserve Bank’s 3–6% target band. But for grant recipients, whose spending leans heavily toward food and transport, the R10 increase feels negligible.
On a R2,310 Old Age Grant, R10 is just 0.43% growth—well below the 3.3% CPI rise. That equates to a real-term loss of about R76 per month in purchasing power. For households dependent on the Child Support Grant, inflation bites harder: a family with three children effectively loses R50 monthly in real value.
The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) warns that without stronger adjustments, poverty—already at 55%—could climb further, especially with unemployment at 32.9%.
What Experts Say
Economist Dr. Azar Jammine told IOL News: “At 3.3% inflation, grants should rise by at least R76 to maintain value. R10 is symbolic, not substantive. It risks eroding trust in the system.”
Elizabeth Raiters, social worker and founder of the Black Sash advocacy group, was blunter: “This R10 won’t buy an extra loaf for most. We’ve seen suicides rise with grant delays—imagine the despair if basics stay out of reach.” She also warned that 1.4 million Social Relief of Distress (SRD) recipients remain on the edge of destitution.
The Institute for Economic Justice added in June 2025 that Treasury’s conditions on Sassa risk excluding millions, deepening poverty cycles. As SowetanLIVE argued, reviews ensure fairness, but without inflation-linked hikes, grants become “a lifeline fraying at the edges.”
The Road Ahead
The October 2025 increases provide a glimmer of relief, but highlight a deeper issue: South Africa’s grants, once a post-apartheid tool against inequality, now struggle to keep pace with modern pressures. Beneficiaries like Nomusa and Thabo remind us of the human stakes, while experts call for inflation-indexed increases and parity in child grants.
Sassa has urged beneficiaries to stay alert for scams by verifying details through the Moya app or srd.sassa.gov.za. Policymakers, take note: real upliftment requires grants that grow with the people they serve.