The cost of SASSA Childcare grants to South Africa in 2024
While individual monthly SASSA Childcare Grants may appear affordable, their total cost to the country adds up to a staggering amount.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) recently disclosed that, throughout the 2023/24 financial year, it distributed 19,137,524 core social grants monthly via the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Core SASSA grants are made up of Old-Age Grants, Childcare, Disability and War Veterans. And this excludes the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) stipend paid to roughly 9-million recipients, reports The Citizen.
SASSA CHILDCARE GRANTS IN 2024
Worrying for some, and encouraging for others, this number of grants accounts for almost one-third of the South African population. If you include SRD beneficiaries that percentage jumps to nearly 45% of South African residents. The Minister of Social Development revealed as much in response to a parliamentary question from Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Bridget Masango (DA).
SASSA Childcare Grants and Old-Age Grants makes up the largest group of ‘core’ beneficiaries per month. And they’re paid the most from the national budget, too …
| SASSA GRANT | NUMBER |
| Total | 28 126 678 |
| Total ‘core’ grants | 19 137 524 |
| SRD R370 | 8 996 341 |
| Old age | 4 041 763 |
| Total Childcare | 14 039 482 |
| Childcare Dependency | 165 764 |
| Foster Child | 253 256 |
| Grant in Aid | 401 761 |
SASSA CHILD SUPPORT BREAKDOWN
As we’ve reported previously, SASSA Child Support currently pays R530 for eligible children and is the costliest SASSA grant, totalling 13 218 701. If you sign up a newborn from month one all the way to their 18th birthday, the approximate value of SASSA support adds up to R135 550. Multiply that by 13 million beneficiaries and the number is an astronomical R1.7 trillion.
Plus, here’s how SASSA Child Support is split across all nine provinces. With one province seeming inordinately high considering its population:
- 1. KwaZulu-Natal: 3 007 403
- 2. Gauteng: 2 046 204
- 3. Limpopo: 2 002 516
- 4. Eastern Cape: 1 956 118
- 5. Mpumalanga: 1 206 851
- 6. Western Cape: 1 036 547
- 7. North West: 917 393
- 8. Free State: 709 323
- 9. Northern Cape: 336 346
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION
Furthermore, Alexandra Lilian Amelia Abrahams (DA) recently asked about extending child support grants to vulnerable schoolchildren over the age of 18 until they complete their matric studies. To which the DSD responded that the R530 Child Support Grant currently only covers children up to 18 years of age, and there are other social-welfare alternatives for adults (like R370 SRD).