SASSA R30 million communication contract, USA News: The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has officially rejected claims that its R30 million communication and marketing contract was intended to improve the public image of its chief executive, Themba Matlou.
The allegations followed a report stating that R29 million of the three-year contract, which is scheduled to run from 2025 to 2028, had already been spent within its first year. The report further alleged that media engagement sessions organized by SASSA were aimed at discouraging negative reporting concerning Matlou.
In a media statement released on Friday, the agency clarified that the contract was initiated before Matlou assumed the role of acting CEO in December 2024, at which time he served as the regional executive manager responsible for Gauteng and Mpumalanga. SASSA stated that the agreement aimed to strengthen its marketing and communication capacity across all nine provinces and improve public awareness regarding its services.
Card Migration and Public Outreach
SASSA highlighted the migration from Gold Cards to Postbank or other banking institutions as a primary campaign requiring sustained public communication. The migration process created a substantial public communication challenge, with the initial deadline set for February 28, 2025.
As that date approached, a significant number of beneficiaries had not yet migrated, prompting an extension to March 20, 2025. By that time, more than one million SASSA Gold Card holders remained unmigrated, leading to a further deadline extension to April 30, 2025, alongside ongoing communication and beneficiary education efforts.
To reach beneficiaries, SASSA utilized social media, traditional media outlets, and public campaigns hosted at taxi ranks and shopping malls. Regarding media engagements, the agency defended the sessions, explaining that they were designed to help journalists understand operations and provide accurate information about social grants, eligibility requirements, and grant reviews.
Leadership and Operational Matters
SASSA denied that Matlou introduced the media engagements upon becoming acting CEO, noting that his first media session took place in March 2025. The agency emphasized that these engagements addressed significant operational and policy matters affecting beneficiaries, including card migration, social grant reviews, and two decades of service delivery.
The agency added that participation by the CEO in explaining institutional work does not inherently establish that public resources are being used for personal promotion. Additionally, Social Development Minister Dina Pule reported that 169,000 beneficiaries failed to respond to grant review notices and were flagged for further investigation.
SASSA also announced plans to deploy 1,038 contract workers for 12 months to help reduce long queues, process applications, and handle beneficiary queries. Furthermore, Minister Pule noted that R1.278 billion was disbursed to permanent residents, recognized refugees, and eligible special-permit holders through social grants and SRD payments.
