Social grant recipients say they were disappointed after the old age and child support grant increases were announced yesterday. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presented the increases duringthe 2026 Budget Speech in Parliament. Godongwana stated that the old age grant would increase from R2 315 to R2 400, and the child support grant would rise by R20 to R580.
Single mother of two, Florah Sitoe (27) from Mpumalanga, says the increase is not enough because the cost of living is high. Sitoe has a qualification in environmental management but has been struggling to find employment. “I qualified last year and since then, I have been unable to get a job.
The unemployment rate in our country is high. I try to earn money doing odd jobs like washing people’s laundry, but it is not a steady income,” she adds. Sitoe says she relies on the child support grant because it helps her provide for her children.
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“We live in an informal settlement and I have to make sure we have enough money for electricity vouchers and food. The grant itself is not enough and the R20 increase is not a big difference. It is disappointing and shameful that the government, knowing how high the cost of living is, gives us such a small increase,” she says.
Sitoe feels the government needs to do proper research and review the amount allocated to the child support grant. Shaida Ali, a 65-year-old grandmother from KZN, was expecting more than an R80 increase. “I am not happy.
The elderly are one of the most vulnerable communities in the country and we are not properly cared for by the government. Once we pay our utility bills, there is not enough money left for food,” she explains. Ali says she waits for the increase to be announced every year and hopes for a substantial increase, but adds that she is always disappointed.
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