The older South African individuals, who entirely relied on SASSA Old Age Grant, were the most affected ones along with all others during the long and often inaccessible payment delays in October. They were already going through hard times and had to endure the pain even in some cases where the pain led to death by starvation. The following discussion summarizes the issue, the affected individuals, and the ways out of the mess for the grantees.
What Is Up With The Problems That Were Reported?
SASSA on October 2nd, 2025 The money for some of the individuals receiving the grant through Capitec bank had not shown up in their accounts. Despite the simulations being done and the payments showing as sent to the recipients quite a few of them still couldn’t access the cash at the bank with their SASSA Gold Card. The bank indicated that the payments to approximately 15,000 of the impacted pensioners were frozen as a result of the technical deadlock between PayInc (the payment clearing house) and Capitec bank. Then on the following day, October 3rd, SASSA announced that the issue was solved and henceforth all three disbursements would be able to go through.
Delays Infuriate Many
1. Systematic Breakdowns and Glitches
The communication among SASSA, PayInc, and banks is the lifeblood. Total unreliability of communication systems at the clearing and reconciliation phase can result in loss of payments for people. The latest system outage is an instance where clearing and interbank transfer were not very well integrated and no funds were thus transferred to the intended beneficiaries.
2. Bank-Centric Effect
Capitec Bank was the main channel through which the delay was most visible to the elderly and frail people who received their pensions. It may be that the other banks were not affected at all, or they batted the system so well that only a small fraction of beneficiaries were impacted.
3. Grant Review and Validation Processes
SASSA periodically conducts grant assessments to check the eligibility, income, and asset status of the recipients. Those verifications may take a while and cause delays in payment while claims are processed. However, just one of the reviewers’ criteria may create a huge issue around non-payment due to the lack of or incorrect documentation supporting the beneficiary’s claim.
4. Poor Communication & Slow Remediation
SASSA and PayInc were, however, working “24/7” to fix the glitch, but still, the delays by discovering and dealing with the major problem, many pensioners had to wait for days without getting their money. Moreover, SASSA’s communication to the beneficiaries on what to do has been marked by delays and being vague.
Who do you think is the most affected person?
- The elderly who rely on the Old Age Grant and are becoming more deprived each day.
- Capitec’s clients, who, as a result of the technical breakdown, have had to endure the longest and worst service interruptions.
- Desperate people needing cash for doctor’s fees, food, or simply getting to work.
- SASSA clients living in isolated areas or having limited movement who might not be able to get to SASSA or the banks to find out about the payments.
Suggestions for the Affected People
You can check if the payment is done by looking into your transaction history and checking your bank account balance. Besides, you can reach out to your bank’s customer support (for example, Capitec helpdesk) and verify if there is any hold or pending transaction. You might want to call SASSA’s helpline at 0800 60 10 11 for a payment update, or you can also file a complaint. If you can, take your ID and proof of grant approval and visit the nearest SASSA office. It is recommended to keep a record of all your communications and note down reference numbers, times, and names of agents. Any reports of fraudulent conduct or offers should be considered seriously. Accordingly, SASSA has alerted beneficiaries not to facilitate any grant-related services financially.
SASSA’s Position on the Problem
SASSA has made a public apology to those affected and accepted the technical problem. It also states that the ailing tech problem has been fixed, so they began the payments to those whose payments were detained. In addition, they are suggesting robbed beneficiaries to call their credit provider or SASSA’s call center for help if the problems continue.
also read: SASSA 2025 Grant Status Check: Online & WhatsApp Methods Explained