Sassa to introduce mandatory biometric enrolment in September

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) will begin rolling out mandatory biometric enrolment for all new and existing beneficiaries from 1 September 2025, in a move aimed at curbing fraud and tightening grant administration.

The system will use fingerprint and facial recognition technology to verify beneficiaries’ identities and prevent duplicate or fraudulent applications. 

From next month, all applications submitted without biometric data will be placed into review until the enrolment is completed.

SASSA CEO Themba Matlou said the nationwide rollout follows months of preparation and staff training. “We have ironed out the issues that delayed our plans. All our offices are now ready with the necessary infrastructure.” 

“Our plans were to commence with biometric enrolment at the beginning of the 2025/2026 financial year, however we hit a snag, but we have ironed out the issues that delayed our plans and it is all systems go for the implementation”, he said.

The agency believes the new system will improve accuracy, reduce errors, and restore public confidence in the social grants system. 

With millions of people dependent on social grants, SASSA’s biometric project marks one of the most significant changes in its service delivery in years, setting the stage for a new digital era in welfare management.