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Older Persons’ Grant (OPG)
Programme
Country
Geographic area
Previous programme name (if any)
Older Persons’ Grant (OPG)
South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Start date
1928 (first legislation)
2004 (current legislation) 1
Programme objectives To support older South African citizens who cannot support themselves. 2
Programme type
Unconditional cash transfer
Programme components
Conditionalities (if any)
Targeting methods Categorical targeting and means-testing. 1
Target areas
Nationwide
Target groups
Elderly people
Eligibility criteria
For South African citizens, permanent residents or refugees
aged 60 and older with an annual income of less than ZAR65,
106 and assets of no more than ZAR937,200 per person (or a combined
income of ZAR130,200 and assets of ZAR1.9 million for couples).
The beneficiaries must not be resident or cared for in a State institution.
Eligibility reassessment (if any) The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is responsible for
reviewing eligibility criteria, such as the declared income of the beneficiary.
Beneficiaries must also present life certificates. 2
Type of benefits
Cash
Amount of benefits Up to ZAR1,420 (age 60–74); ZAR1,440 (age 75+)
Payment/delivery frequency Monthly 2
Benefit delivery mechanism
Benefit recipients
Minimum and maximum
duration of benefits (if any)
Coverage
Grants are paid by SASSA through the following methods:
• pay points;
• automatic teller machines (ATMs);
• contracted merchant stores; and
• State institutions (e.g. retirement homes).
South African citizens, permanent residents and refugees
The grant is subject to review for the means test and lapses when the
beneficiary dies, is admitted to a state institution, ceases to be a refugee,
or six months after admission to a psychiatric hospital.
3,152,262 beneficiaries (73 per cent of
South Africa’s elderly population ; 2015)
Programme expenditure 1.3 per cent of GDP (or ZAR53.5 billion; 2015/16)
Institutions and agencies involved SASSA 1
Monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms and frequency
See the references on page 193: Older Persons’ Grant (OPG)
SASSA administers the grant. Its monitoring and evaluation branch
produces monthly statistical reports of all its social grants, indicating
the number of beneficiaries per region.
136 | Social Protection in Africa: inventory of non-contributory programmes