As the October 2025 grants were paid to different provinces of South Africa, pensioners have undergone frustrating delays in depositing their Old Age Grants. Thus far, SASSA and its banking partners have faced technical glitches and have requested that beneficiaries remain calm. Let us look at what happened, why the delays came about, what the authorities replied with, and what pensioners can do at this point.
What Happened: October Payment Delays
On 2 October 2025, pensioners who were waiting for the payment of their Old Age Grants were given notices confirming the payments having been effected but no cash was made available at any ATM points. There were nearly 15,000 beneficiaries affected; mostly Capitec bank holders. Therefore a technical error emanating from the interfacing between the payment clearing processor PayInc and Capitec abruptly interrupted the handover of funds. Across several provinces, especially the Western Cape, there were complaints from beneficiaries that their bank notifications showed that payment was ready but the money could neither be withdrawn from ATMs nor cashed out at retail pay points.
Official: Response and Further Action Taken
- SASSA admitted to the delay and said it believed that all the payment files had been sent off correctly. Efforts are underway with Capitec and the Reserve Bank to find a solution.
- SASSA went on to apologize to the public, elaborating that its technical team day and night tried to fix that very issue.
- The following day, on 3 October, payments were made to make good the delayed payments.
- In the Western Cape, SASSA pledged to investigate the issue and provide feedback to beneficiaries.
- SASSA advised those pensioners still encountering issues to contact Capitec at 0860 10 20 43 or the SASSA call centre at 0800 60 10 11.
Why These Delays Matter
There are many who rely only on those grants for their living expenses-food, medication, and utilities. A little interruption in payment might be problematic:
- Delays also affect trust: beneficiaries expect payments on time, and repeated technical hiccups put those expectations into doubt.
Behind the scenes, these glitches test relations between departments of government, banks, and clearances, thus exhibiting the brittleness of a system that millions rely on.
What Pensioners Can Do Now
- Wait till the end of this day — Many payments postponed on 2 October were reportedly disbursed on 3 October, according to SASSA.
- Check your bank and notices from SASSA-If the account shows the funds but refuses to dispense at the ATM, it may be the sort of thing that the bank has to fix.
- Support Numbers You Need to Know
- Capitec Bank: 0860 10 20 43
- SASSA call centre: 0800 60 10 11
- Have your ID, SASSA reference number, and bank details ready.
- Go to the nearest SASSA office if there are still unresolved issues after a couple of days, especially if you receive no further solution via the call centre.
- Keep track of your communications-If you are given a reference number or agent name, write it down. This will come in handy if you need to escalate the matter.
- Be patient but persistent-Absolutely, from such a massive number of beneficiaries, technical resolutions may take some time. In any case, both agencies have committed to resolving the backlog.
Decreasing Interruptions in the Future
System integration with payment processing and banks needs to be taken to a greater level. Clear-cut contingency plans should be established for rerouting payments in the event a partner fails. More transparent communication from SASSA and the banks in the early stage would contribute greatly to preventing a panic among the beneficiaries. Regular scheduled maintenance and stress testing exercises of the systems are to be put into place, in order to identify any impending technical glitches ahead of time, prior to major payment cycles in particular.
also read : SASSA Application Status Check 2025: Track Your Grant Online at sassa.gov