Tito Mboweni SA economy to recover in 2023 riots

Photo: GCIS / Flickr

SASSA R350 grant latest: Mboweni to brief media on relief measures

Finance Minister Mboweni will unpack relief measures recently announced by President Ramaphosa on Wednesday, including the R350 SASSA grant.

Tito Mboweni SA economy to recover in 2023 riots

Photo: GCIS / Flickr

National Treasury has announced that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni will brief the media on Wednesday and outline government’s plan to extend social relief measures – including the R350 unemployment grant – to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that SASSA will begin accepting applications for the Special Relief of Distress (SRD) grant again, and also revealed that, as well as all out-of-work citizens aged 18-59 who receive no other grants, unemployed caregivers who DO receive other SASSA payments will now be able to claim the R350-per-month handouts.

Mboweni to outline relief strategy  

National Treasury said in a statement that during his media briefing on Wednesday, Mboweni will unpack a host of relief measures announced by the President on Sunday when he moved South Africa to Adjusted Level 3 lockdown once again. 

“The Minister of Finance, Mr Tito Mboweni, will brief the media following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of continued support measures for South Africans amid the continuing Covid-19 impact on the economy,” they said, adding that Mboweni will discuss the following social relief measures: 

  • The deferment of payment of Pay-As-You-Earn taxes for three months to provide businesses with additional cash flow;
  • The deferment of the payment of excise taxes by the alcohol sector for three months to ease the burden on the sector as it recovers;
  • The reinstatement of the R350 per month support grant to unemployed people until March 2022.


National Treasury said that Mboweni will be joined by National Treasury executives.

R350 grant extended  

The reopening of the R350 unemployment grant was widely welcomed, with many opposition parties and SASSA beneficiaries having desperately pleaded with government to extend the scheme when it was closed earlier this year. 

It will now be in place until March 2022, where it’s expected to eventually be replaced by a larger Basic Income Grant currently being configured by National Government.