SASSA's target: 600 000 fewer calls answered. Other ways to get help

SASSA's toll-free call centre is set to answer about 600 000 fewer calls this financial year. The agency's 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan sets a target of 4.2 million calls answered on 0800 60 10 11, down from an estimated 4.8 million in 2025/26 (SASSA Annual Performance Plan 2026/27).

The target keeps falling after that, to 4.1 million in 2027/28 and 4 million in 2028/29 (SASSA APP). The South African first reported the drop on 1 November (The South African).

Does this mean SASSA will stop answering calls?

No. The 4.2 million figure is a minimum, not a cap. The plan says the desired result is "equal to or above" the target, and it counts every call answered through the toll-free number (SASSA APP). For 2026/27 that works out to 1.05 million answered calls a quarter.

What it does show is where SASSA is putting its effort. The same plan commits to a "modernised customer contact centre" that moves from ordinary telephone lines to an omnichannel, cloud-based system with voice, self-service and AI-powered chatbots (SASSA APP).

How has the call centre performed so far?

Before 2025/26, SASSA measured the call centre by how quickly it resolved enquiries rather than how many calls it took.

Source: SASSA Annual Performance Plan 2026/27.

SASSA also wants 70% of callers to complete an end-of-call satisfaction survey, scored on a five-point scale (SASSA APP). The plan doesn't set a target for how satisfied callers should be.

Why is SASSA moving to chatbots?

Money is tight. SASSA's chief financial officer told Parliament's social development committee that Treasury gave the agency no extra baseline funding for 2026/27, and that its roughly R8.3 billion administration budget has to cover modernisation, ICT and call centre improvements through reprioritising (PMG).

SASSA's own plan flags the risk. It lists beneficiary adoption, digital literacy and accessibility as assumptions behind the new contact centre (SASSA APP). The South African points out that many beneficiaries live in rural areas or homes without internet access and rely on calling (The South African).

In a written reply to Parliament, SASSA said its target for local offices is an average waiting time of no more than 90 minutes, and admitted some offices struggle to meet it because of high demand (Parliamentary reply NCOP 572).

How do I check my SASSA grant status?

Use only SASSA's own channels. Don't give your ID number, PIN or card details to anyone who calls, texts or messages you claiming to be from SASSA, or to social media pages promising to fix your grant for a fee.

For problems a call can't fix, such as a suspended grant or a missing payment, go to your nearest SASSA local office with your ID (SASSA grant booklet).