A Gauteng job seeker has opened up about the toll of losing her SASSA grant, describing a bureaucratic process that has left her without income while she searches for work in one of South Africa’s toughest job markets.

Selopyane, a Northern Sotho speaker in her late forties from Gauteng, previously received the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for between one and three years. The R370 monthly payment went straight to food and groceries, though it never fully covered her needs. Since the grant was cancelled, Selopyane has submitted several fresh applications, all of which have been rejected. She describes SASSA’s communication with recipients as very poor, saying the lack of clear feedback makes it difficult to understand why her applications keep failing or what she can do differently.

Selopyane says the biggest change she’d like to see is a faster, simpler application process, a complaint echoed by many South Africans caught in similar cycles of rejection and reapplication.

Unemployment remains the core problem

For Selopyane, the grant issue is tied directly to a bigger struggle: finding work. She has experience in construction and general labour, and says she is willing to relocate anywhere in the country for a job opportunity. Currently living in a shared family home, she supports only herself, which offers some cushion but no long-term security.

South Africa’s unemployment rate remains above 32 percent, and Gauteng, despite its status as the country’s economic hub, has not been spared. Jobseekers without formal qualifications or strong networks face particularly steep competition for the limited positions available.

Falling through the cracks of the system

Selopyane said she was not aware of any other government support programmes she might qualify for, pointing to a wider information gap facing grant recipients and jobseekers alike.

Her case reflects a pattern seen across the country, where people who previously relied on the SRD grant find themselves rejected on reapplication, with little explanation and few alternatives in the meantime.

Win R2 000 in the South African SASSA grant survey

If you receive a SASSA grant and want to share your story, we want to hear from you.

Take part in our survey and stand a chance to win R2 000. Your responses help us tell the stories that matter.