The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says new smart queue management systems and biometric technology being rolled out at offices across the country are already improving service delivery as the agency moves to cut waiting times for grant beneficiaries.
Speaking to CapeTalk, SASSA Business Improvement Systems senior manager, Oscar Muremi said the agency’s immediate goal was clear. “Our goal is for people to wait for no longer than 90 minutes,” he said.
That target stands in stark contrast to the current situation at the Bellville office, where the average waiting time is 247 minutes — just over four hours.
National rollout under way
Muremi said the Bellville office was not a pilot project but formed part of a broader national rollout. SASSA has already implemented smart queue management systems at 416 offices nationwide. In the Western Cape, the system is active at 15 offices, with a further 14 still to be completed.
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The system includes biometric self-service kiosks, guest Wi-Fi, pre-screening processes and digital queue management, all aimed at improving the flow of clients through offices.
Muremi said beneficiaries should no longer be made to queue outside for hours before being allowed to enter. “If there’s space inside, they must be allowed to come in,” he said.
Staff members are now expected to begin assisting beneficiaries while they wait, including checking documents and starting application processes before clients reach service counters.
Tackling the root causes
Muremi acknowledged that long queues were linked to broader service delivery inefficiencies. “We analyse operations and see what the real causes of these long queues are,” he said.
Among the problems identified are repeat visits, missing documents and beneficiaries being turned away without assistance. To address this, Sassa has introduced what it calls an “80/20 service provision rule”, under which officials begin processing applications even when some supporting documents are still outstanding. “We don’t want to send people away,” Muremi said.
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He noted that many beneficiaries spend money on transport, only to be told to return with additional paperwork.
Concerns over elderly and vulnerable clients
The rollout has raised concerns about whether elderly beneficiaries and those in rural areas will be able to navigate biometric systems and digital processes. Muremi said SASSA had considered the needs of older and vulnerable clients during implementation and that such beneficiaries would be prioritised under the new queue management system. “If they’re unable to do that, they are welcome to visit our offices,” he said.
Concerns were also raised about disability grant applications, including allegations that medical forms had gone missing. Muremi said SASSA was digitising parts of the disability grant process and introducing tracking systems for medical reports and applications.
Payment dates and banking details
SASSA also addressed complaints about grant payment dates. Muremi said payment schedules were determined annually in consultation with the banking sector and adjusted around weekends and public holidays, with dates published on Sassa’s website and social media platforms.
On the matter of moving grant payments from Postbank accounts to personal bank accounts, Muremi said beneficiaries could update their banking details through SASSA’s online services platform or at any SASSA office.
The interview comes amid mounting frustration over long queues and service delivery failures at Sassa offices, with one listener describing elderly and disabled beneficiaries already queueing outside an office before sunrise.
Muremi said the rollout of new systems would continue as SASSA worked to modernise its operations. “We aim to improve service delivery,” he said.
