KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Sassa has made significant progress in modernising its social grant service delivery through the implementation of digital income verification and biometric registration, the Portfolio Committee on Social Development said during its week-long oversight visit to the province.
The committee received a briefing from Sassa officials at the Ilembe District Municipality offices, where KZN Regional Manager Thamo Mzobe said the Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment (BBE) system was fully implemented as of 1 September 2025.
She explained that all 82 local offices in the region had been equipped with biometric fingerprint scanners and that 901 officials had been trained to operate the new system.
“Of these, 748 officials have already transitioned to the BBE platform, which enhances both security and efficiency in registering grant beneficiaries,” she said.
Mzobe also provided an update on the income verification process, noting that 38 dedicated officials at the Records Management Centre were reviewing 184,828 flagged cases.
These include cases identified by credit bureaus for economic activity while receiving grants, multiple bank accounts, or duplicate identity document numbers.
“To date, we have completed reviews on 77,287 cases, representing a 77% completion rate, and we are committed to finalising the remaining cases by the end of the financial year,” she added.
The Portfolio Committee commended the regional office for the strides made and urged Sassa to address remaining challenges with urgency.
The committee emphasised that these digital systems are vital to safeguarding the integrity and improving the efficiency of South Africa’s social assistance framework.
During a site inspection at the Sassa local office in Stanger, the committee engaged with frontline staff and observed daily operations. Committee Chairperson Bridget Masango expressed appreciation for the detailed presentations and open discussions with officials.
She said, “The engagement opened our eyes to the legal and regulatory framework that enables the work of government to happen. We can really see the progress and can imagine what more is possible.”
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