There’s a piece of good news for South Africans who are heavily dependent on the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant from the South African Government through its SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) scheme. The government has extended the funding into 2024.
The grant was established a while back when the coronavirus pandemic radically disrupted many industries across South Africa and, indeed, the world, tossing many out of jobs. Since then, it has become a lifeline for many South Africans. Expectedly, the announcement of an extension on the grant has left many South Africans jubilant.
Not everyone is happy, though. Some people who used to receive the grant no longer receive it. SASSA indirectly confirmed that when it noted that the number of people who used to receive the grant dropped from 10.9 million in March to just under 4.8 million in April. It is said, too, that applications for the grants have declined as well.
Since the grant started, some tweeps have used funds from it to start businesses, some of which have flourished and been featured on blogs across the Rainbow Nation.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the government will also listen to civil society groups and increase the grant, as well as make it permanent.
