There are over nine million beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant in South Africa, meaning that for millions, their lives depend on the R370 grant. 

But as the world is going towards a digital direction, so is the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), which may cause problems for some. 

SASSA has recently called on all R370 SRD grant beneficiaries who do not have access to smartphones, laptops or data to visit their nearest SASSA offices for in-person assistance with biometric identity verification.

According to SASSA, the biometric move is aimed at ensuring eligible applicants receive their grants on time and without unnecessary delays. It added that biometric verification is a key part of the SRD grant system, designed to confirm identity and reduce fraud.

So what happens to your biometric data once Sassa collects it?

When you submit your biometric information at a SASSA office or payment point, the process does not end at the fingerprint scanner.

According to official SASSA and Department of Social Development (DSD) documentation, your biometric data is captured, digitised, verified and stored across multiple systems before a grant is approved or paid.

SASSA’s Annual Performance Plans and Annual Reports indicate that biometric data is collected during grant applications, periodic reviews and payment verification. This is done to confirm beneficiary identity and prevent duplicate or fraudulent claims.

This data is captured using biometric devices that convert fingerprints or facial images into digital templates, which are then transmitted to SASSA-linked verification systems.

Once captured, the biometric data is matched against existing records, including the National Population Register maintained by the Department of Home Affairs, to confirm identity details such as ID numbers and citizenship status. This verification step is referenced in SASSA operational briefings to Parliament and DSD reporting on interdepartmental data sharing.

If a biometric match is successful, the beneficiary’s grant status proceeds through SASSA’s payment processing systems.

However, if the system detects a mismatch, duplication or anomaly, the grant may be flagged for review, temporarily suspended or delayed pending further verification, as outlined in SASSA’s performance reporting on grant reviews and fraud prevention.

SASSA documentation also confirms that biometric verification systems are supported by contracted service providers, appointed through National Treasury procurement processes.

These providers supply the hardware, software platforms and system maintenance required for large-scale biometric verification. While SASSA remains the custodian of beneficiary records, operational processing occurs across interconnected digital platforms rather than a single database.

International development agencies, including the World Bank, have noted that biometric databases require continuous system updating and re-verification. This is because biometric data quality can change over time due to age, health conditions or even manual labour. These challenges can increase the frequency of re-verification requests for beneficiaries.

While SASSA reports that biometric verification has contributed to reducing duplicate and fraudulent grant claims, official documents provide limited public detail on the internal lifecycle of biometric data after verification is completed, including how long biometric templates remain active within operational systems.

Difficulties

SASSA acknowledged that many beneficiaries struggle to complete the process because they lack digital tools or connectivity.

“The Agency is doing this to ensure that all qualifying beneficiaries receive their grant at the right time, to avoid unnecessary delays and eliminate frustrations,” said Xolela Mpambani, Acting Regional Executive Manager (AREM) for SASSA.

Mpambani also clarified why some applications are declined.

“Beneficiaries must note that the application of the SRD grant can be declined, whereby the system discovered that the beneficiary has a source of income,” she said.

“This is discovered through the external sources databases inclusive of financial institution (Banks).”

She added that those who are declined are not without recourse.

“The declined beneficiary has a right to appeal the decision, this happens when the beneficiary is not satisfied with the reasons stated in the system.”

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