Is your employer paying your pension? R8.33bn is missing. How to check

Employers owe South African retirement funds about R8.33 billion in pension contributions that were never paid over, and roughly 590,000 workers are affected, according to the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)/cr3ad_document/$value). In the worst cases, money was taken off payslips for more than 20 years without reaching the fund, BusinessTech reports.

The FSCA has named 6,064 defaulting employers in its latest list. If pension or provident fund money comes off your salary, here is how to check it is actually arriving.

How big is the problem?

Source: FSCA press release, 2 July 2026/cr3ad_document/$value)

Interest is growing faster than the unpaid capital (21.5% against 9%), which the FSCA says shows contributions are staying unpaid for longer. Bargaining council funds, covering sectors such as security, cleaning, transport and retail, account for 76.9% of arrears, and local government funds for 21.5%. Municipalities in North West and the Free State make up 79.4% of municipal arrears (FSCA/cr3ad_document/$value)).

When must your employer pay the money over?

Section 13A of the Pension Funds Act says contributions must reach the fund no later than seven days after the end of the month they are for. Failing to do so is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to R10 million, up to 10 years in jail, or both (FSCA Communication 12 of 2026).

How do you check your contributions are being paid?

The FSCA's advice is to contact your employer and your fund directly to confirm the status of your contributions (FSCA/cr3ad_document/$value)). In practice, that means:

1. Find the name of your fund. Your payslip may only say "provident fund" or "pension", so ask HR, payroll or your shop steward (Pension Justice guide).
2. Look up the fund and its administrator on the FSCA's retirement fund search, which lists registered funds and their contact details.
3. Phone the fund or administrator with your ID number and your employer's name, and ask whether contributions have been received and what your balance is.
4. Compare your annual benefit statement with your payslips. Every fund must send one at least once a year, and the contributions received should match what was deducted.

Is your employer on the FSCA list?

The full list of funds and employers in arrears can be downloaded from the FSCA Information Centre. The FSCA cautions that some listed employers may have paid or agreed to settle since the reporting date (FSCA Communication 12 of 2026), so confirm with your fund rather than relying on the list alone.

What if you are still worried?

If your employer and fund cannot give you a clear answer, the FSCA says you can contact it directly (FSCA/cr3ad_document/$value)). Its enquiry details are on the FSCA website. Trade union members can also ask their union to take it up.

The problem often only came to light when workers tried to make two-pot withdrawals after September 2024 and found less money than expected (BusinessTech). Checking now means you find out before you resign, retire or need the savings component.