Big news for Sassa beneficiaries: R350 grant will be improved – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government will extend and improve the Sassa R350 grant for the unemployed.

“We have seen the benefits of this grant and will extend it and improve it as the next step towards income support for the unemployed,” he said during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday night.

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GRANTS DO MORE THAN GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO LIVE

Ramaphosa said the government would not only be extending the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant but also improving it, suggesting the government was set to spend more on it.

“These [Sassa] grants and subsidies do much more than give people what they need to live. They are an investment in the future. Social assistance has been shown to increase school enrolment and attendance, lower drop-out rates, and improve the pass rate,” said Ramaphosa,” he said.

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SOUTH AFRICANS LIVING LONGER THAT EVER BEFORE: RAMAPHOSA

The president said the Sassa SRD Grant, which currently reaches about 9 million unemployed people every month, was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has improved the quality of life for many South Africans.

“South Africans are living longer than ever before. Life expectancy has increased from 54 years in 2003 to 65 years in 2023.”

MATERNAL AND INFANT DEATHS HAVE DECLINED DRAMATICALLY SAYS RAMPHOSA

Ramaphosa said maternal and infant deaths have declined dramatically as more hospitals and clinics have been built, especially in poor areas, providing better quality care to more South Africans.

“Today, 95% of persons diagnosed with HIV know their status, 79% of those receive antiretroviral treatment, and 93% of those are virally suppressed. New HIV infections among young people have declined significantly,” he said.

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