A failed facial check feels final, but it rarely is. SASSA’s own explanations for failures point mostly to things that can be changed: the picture you took, the photo Home Affairs holds, the phone, or a system that was down at the time. Work through the causes below in order, starting with the cheapest fix, before you spend money on a trip.
Cause 1: the selfie itself
The system has to match your face to an ID photo, often an old one. Give it the clearest picture you can:
- Stand facing a window or bright light, so your face is lit from the front. Light behind you turns your face into a shadow.
- Take off glasses, hats, caps and anything covering your forehead or chin.
- Hold the phone at eye level, at arm’s length, and look straight into the lens with a neutral expression.
- Wipe the front camera. A greasy lens blurs the image.
- Use a plain background and keep still until the capture finishes.
Cause 2: the photo at Home Affairs
SASSA has said that a poor or outdated Home Affairs photo is a common reason for failure, and that people with green ID books fail more often than smart ID card holders. A face that has changed a lot since the ID was issued can stop a match however good the selfie is.
You cannot change that photo through SASSA. If repeated attempts fail and your ID photo is very old, ask Home Affairs whether applying for a smart ID card, which records a new photo, makes sense for you. Where Home Affairs holds wrong details as well, see fixing ID and Home Affairs mismatches.
Cause 3: the phone and connection
- Allow camera access when the browser asks. If you tapped “block” before, reset it in the browser’s site settings.
- Open the link in your phone’s main, up-to-date browser rather than inside a messaging app.
- Make sure you have enough data or a steady Wi-Fi signal; a dropped connection can cut the upload.
- A cracked or low-quality front camera may never produce a usable image. Moving your registered SIM into a better phone before requesting a new link is one option; the office route below is the other.
Cause 4: systems down or the link expired
SASSA has blamed some failures on Home Affairs system downtime, which nothing on your side can fix. Wait some hours and try again. Links also run out: SASSA has asked people to act on a verification SMS within 72 hours. An expired link will not work however many times you tap it, so request a fresh one on srd.sassa.gov.za.
How many tries do you get?
SASSA has not published a maximum number of attempts. Rather than retrying blindly, change something each time: better light, another phone, a different time of day. If two or three careful attempts on fresh links all fail, switch to the in-person route below.
Verifying at a SASSA office instead
SASSA says all its offices can help with this. Staff can run the check on office kiosks or laptops connected to the office Wi-Fi, so you do not need your own smartphone or data. Take your ID document and the phone with your registered SIM. Going early in the day and avoiding the first days of the month, when older persons and child grants are paid, usually means a shorter queue. If you would rather phone first, our page on the SASSA call centre explains how to make the call useful; the number is 0800 60 10 11.
Once a match goes through, reading your result afterwards shows what to look for in your status. For background on why SASSA needs this step, see how SRD biometric verification works.