SASSA LEADERSHIP VISITS KWAZULU-NATAL TO STRENGTHEN SERVICE DELIVERY AND ENGAGEMENT

By Sandy Godlwana

• The South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) Acting CEO Themba Matlou has conducted an oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal to meet with staff and share the agency’s long-term vision.
• He stressed that empowering staff is key to optimising SASSA’s ability to serve its beneficiaries.
• The visit was not only an opportunity for Matlou to address the staff but also provided a platform for the staff to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions.

During March, the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) Acting CEO Themba Matlou conducted an important visit to KwaZulu-Natal to engage with staff, monitor key service initiatives, and ensure that the agency is effectively meeting its objectives in serving vulnerable communities.

The visit kicked off with a hybrid staff engagement session, where Matlou met with SASSA staff from the province. The session focused on strengthening internal operations, identifying areas for improvement, and reinforcing the agency’s commitment to excellence in service delivery.

Matlou emphasised the importance of each staff member’s role in enhancing the effectiveness of SASSA.

“What is important in leadership, is to ensure that you share the vision with the teams at different levels by engaging in various platforms with managers and officials,” said Matlou.

He encouraged an open dialogue and shared his vision for SASSA’s continued development, stressing that empowering staff is key to optimising the agency’s ability to serve its beneficiaries.

The session was not only an opportunity for staff to hear directly from the acting CEO but also a platform for staff members to share their experiences, challenges and suggestions.

Matlou’s hands-on approach in addressing concerns reinforced the value of working together, with both leadership and staff, towards a shared goal of continuous improvement in service delivery.

Following the staff engagement, the management team, led by the Regional Executive Manager Thamo Mzobe, visited the Isipingo Boxer Superstore to oversee the Postbank card swap process.

Social grant beneficiaries have been moving from gold SASSA cards to black Postbank cards.

The initiative is an essential part of ensuring that beneficiaries continue to receive their grants in a seamless way.

The deadline for the card swap is 20 March 2025.

Management interacted with beneficiaries and provided guidance on the swap process.

The SASSA team took the opportunity to share information about Regulation 23 of the Social Assistance Act, which allows beneficiaries to choose their preferred payment method for their grants.

The monitoring of the card swap process was an important step to ensure that beneficiaries are not left behind and that the transition is seamless for all involved.

The day concluded with a media engagement session held at the Premier Hotel in Umhlanga, led by the acting CEO and the regional executive manager.

“We are here today to engage with you, the media, who ensure SASSA’s image and information are handled with care and are shared in a positive light,” said Mzobe, encouraging the media to continue to share SASSA’s information with the public.

This session served as an opportunity for Matlou to highlight the agency’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

He spoke about the challenges SASSA faces, and the steps being taken to overcome them, reinforcing the agency’s dedication to improving service delivery for vulnerable communities.

The media engagement was robust and constructive and helped foster a deeper understanding of SASSA’s work and its continuous efforts to meet the needs of beneficiaries.

Matlou’s visit to KwaZulu-Natal is just the beginning of a series of roadshows and engagements across the country.

The engagements are designed to ensure that SASSA’s leadership remains in close contact with staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

The goal is to create a transparent, collaborative environment where everyone is informed about the agency’s strategic priorities and can contribute to the ongoing improvement of its services.