Government

Umlazi Sassa office is closed. Here are 6 offices you can use instead

Sassa's Umlazi W-Section office closed on 21 October after a labour department safety notice. Here are the six offices to use instead, when it may reopen and how to get help online or by phone.

By Reported Team

Houses, roads and greenery on the hills of Umlazi township south of Durban
Photo: Yan-Di Chang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Sassa's W-Section office at eMaweleni in Umlazi, south of Durban, has been closed since Wednesday, 21 October. The Department of Labour served a prohibition notice on the building over safety problems, and Sassa KZN spokesperson Mbizeni Mdlalose confirmed the closure (IOL).

Grant applicants and beneficiaries must use other Sassa offices for now. Sassa hopes to move into new premises in December (IOL).

Why was the Umlazi Sassa office closed?

Mdlalose told East Coast Radio the problems were the office's electricity and a leaking roof. He said the building being unstable was not the reason, and that nobody was injured.

He also said scrap metal thieves had been stealing the building's copper pipes, which caused water outages (IOL). In September, GroundUp reported that people queued from 4am and were often turned away after lunch because there was no water, with the women's toilets out of order.

Which Sassa offices can I use instead?

Sassa says these offices are ready to help Umlazi clients (East Coast Radio):

  • Chatsworth
  • Durban local office at Durban station
  • Wentworth
  • Lamontville
  • Nsimbini
  • Umnini, next to Umgababa

The Umlazi office also served people from Isipingo, Ngonyameni, Bluff, Chatsworth and Wentworth, and for many it was the only nearby office that handled grant applications (IOL).

When will the Umlazi office reopen?

There is no fixed date. Mdlalose said renovations are under way and Sassa is at an advanced stage of securing other office space, which it expects to move into in December. If the problems flagged by the labour department are fixed before then, Sassa will go back to the Umlazi building (IOL).

Can I avoid going to an office at all?

For some services, yes. You can register on the Sassa Services portal with your ID number, a cellphone number for a one-time PIN and an email address, then apply for some grants, check an application's status or report a change in your circumstances online.

SRD grant applications and status checks are done at srd.sassa.gov.za (Sassa grant booklet).

Other official channels (Sassa, Sassa grant booklet):

  • Toll-free call centre: 0800 60 10 11 (free from landlines only; cellphone calls may cost you)
  • Email: [email protected]
  • WhatsApp: 082 054 0016

If your grant was flagged for review and you were told to bring your documents or do biometric checks in person, you will need to go to one of the other offices (GroundUp).

Sassa will never ask for your ID number, banking details or PIN on social media or unofficial websites (Sassa grant booklet).

FAQ

Is the Umlazi Sassa office closed?

Yes. Sassa's W-Section office at eMaweleni in Umlazi has been closed since 21 October 2026 after the Department of Labour issued a prohibition notice over electricity problems and a leaking roof.

Where can Umlazi residents go instead?

Sassa says Chatsworth, the Durban local office at Durban station, Wentworth, Lamontville, Nsimbini and Umnini (next to Umgababa) can help.

When will the Umlazi Sassa office reopen?

There is no fixed date. Sassa expects to move to new premises in December, and says it will return to the Umlazi building sooner if the safety problems are fixed first.

How do I contact Sassa without going to an office?

Use services.sassa.gov.za for online services, srd.sassa.gov.za for the SRD grant, call 0800 60 10 11, email [email protected] or WhatsApp 082 054 0016.

Sources