‘Update their apps and the websites’: Unemployed man’s one request to SASSA

Molatlhegi Ditsele, a Northern Cape man, says one simple fix could save SASSA grant recipients a great deal of stress. He wants the agency to sort out its digital platforms.

Ditsele receives the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant and has been on it for between one and three years. He shared his story through The South African’s SASSA grant survey.

SRD grant stretched across a full household

Ditsele lives in a shared family home, where three to five people depend on his income. He told The South African that he spends his grant mainly on food and groceries.

He said the grant helps, but it is not enough. By the end of the month, nothing is left. Even so, he confirmed that no one in his household went without food in the past month.

His biggest financial concern is the cost of living and rising food prices.

SASSA app and website lock out recipients

Ditsele said he has experienced problems with SASSA’s app and website. His frustration centres on what happens when recipients lose their phones and need to update their numbers.

“It will be grateful for anyone if SASSA can update their apps and the websites, especially when changing phone numbers after losing the old one, because they always send the otp the old number that you already lost,” Ditsele said.

“That’s a big challenge so far,” he added.

Despite these issues, he rated SASSA’s communication with recipients as very good. When asked what one thing he would change about the agency, he chose fixing the app and website.

Job seeker willing to relocate for work

Ditsele is unemployed and looking for work. He has experience in construction and general labour and says he is willing to relocate for the right opportunity.

He has not applied for additional government support, saying he did not qualify for anything else. This leaves the SRD grant as a key source of support for his household while he searches for a job.

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