JOHANNESBURG — Millions of South Africans checking the SASSA SRD portal this week may have noticed a strange silence. While no January payment statuses have appeared yet, R370 SRD grants are expected to reach recipients from January 25–31, 2026, as per the usual schedule.
The temporary website outage announced by SASSA on Wednesday, January 21, from 13:30 to 15:00 triggered a flurry of questions online. Beneficiaries asked why the portal wasn’t showing their January payment status.
Why you shouldn’t panic
Several key points suggest that payments are still on track:
- No Delay Announcements: SASSA has not issued any notice of a change to the January payment window. Just recently, the agency debunked false claims about SRD eligibility for foreign nationals, showing it acts quickly to correct misinformation.
- Routine System Maintenance: The 90-minute outage is a normal part of backend updates to prepare for large-scale payment processing.
- SRD Funding Secured: The grant is funded until March 2027, with allocations confirmed in the revised budget.
What you should do
- Check official portals: Monitor SASSA SRD for status updates.
- Ignore unverified messages: Don’t circulate screenshots or claims about payment delays.
- Avoid scams: SASSA will never ask for fees, PINs, or passwords. Learn 7 mistakes that could cost you your SRD approval.
SASSA CEO Themba Matlou reassures beneficiaries that no eligibility rules have changed. The COVID-19 SRD grant still covers South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, and certain special permit holders. Moreover, SASSA’s new verification system ensures the right payments go to the right recipients.
Bottom line
Despite the brief portal glitch, all signs point to SRD payments proceeding behind the scenes. Beneficiaries can expect their R370 grants in accounts or at pay points from January 25, 2026 through the 31st.
Need Help:
For accurate, verified updates, always use official government channels:
- 🌐 SASSA Official Portal
- 💬 DSD WhatsApp Channel: Send “Hi” to 082 046 8553
- ☎️ SASSA Toll-Free Line: 0800 60 10 11
- 📧 Email: GrantEnquiries@sassa.gov.za
