Sassa gearing up to roll out new biometric enrolment system next week

File image of biometric scanning.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is gearing up for a major rollout next Monday, with around 80% of offices expected to implement a new Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment system. It’s designed to curb fraud and strengthen the integrity of the grant system. The initiative marks a significant step in modernising social welfare services.

However, concerns are mounting over whether the system will be ready in time for next week’s rollout.

Sassa’s Grant Operations General Manager, Fani Sethokga, says, “Training of our staff … we have our regional colleagues burning the midnight oil, trying to ensure that it is not training that hinders us to go live. We also want to reduce paper within the organisation. So, later in the year, we’re going to also decommission a large body of manual forms. We want to encourage all our social grants recipients to attempt to try and get their biometrics enrolled. It is for their good. In case it happens that their identity is stolen, it is safer if we’ve verified you biometrically.”

VIDEO | SASSA’s efforts to tackle fraud, improve efficiency

Social grant payment dates for September 2025#SASSACARES #SocialGrantPayments @The_DSD @nda_rsa pic.twitter.com/PZHPXg0jh5

— SASSA (@OfficialSASSA) August 28, 2025