28 million of us receive them: What you need to know about social grants

In a country where millions depend on social grants to meet their most basic needs, understanding the law behind these lifelines becomes a matter of dignity for society’s most vulnerable.

- Who qualifies for a grant, and who is left out?

- What rights do South Africans hold when navigating applications, delays, suspensions, or rejections?

As SASSA struggles with backlogs and payment disruptions, many are left wondering what recourse beneficiaries have and what obligations the state carries when these commitments fall short.

Prof Kitty Malherbe from the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape explains who is eligible for a grant.

"You have to reside within South Africa and you have to be a South African citizen to get a grant," she says, adding that the concept of citizenship has been broadened through the courts to include permanent residents and refugees.

Malherbe says those applying for any of the government's grants will be subjected to a means test.

"Which means if your income is above a particular threshold, you cannot get the grant. Independent income counts against you."