“Free” means different things depending on who pays. A toll-free number is free from one kind of phone and not another, and a data-free app is free only because a company is paying the network for you. If you have no airtime and no data, this page sorts SASSA’s status routes by what they really cost you, so you can pick the one that leaves your balance untouched.
Routes that cost you nothing
For SRD applicants with a smartphone, the strongest free route is the SRD website opened through MoyaApp. Moya is a private messaging app, not a SASSA channel: it pays the data so that its users can open srd.sassa.gov.za from the Discover section, and the status you see there comes from SASSA’s own site. You need a phone on MTN, Vodacom, Cell C or Telkom and an up-to-date copy of Moya. The free ride ends at the edge of the app, though. Selfie verification links that SASSA texts to SRD applicants open in your phone’s normal browser, so they usually use data. Getting Moya working is covered in the Moya set-up guide.
- The call centre, 0800 60 10 11, from a landline. SASSA’s services portal says the number is free from landlines and that calls from a cellphone may be charged. Agents answer on weekdays between 8am and 4pm.
- A SASSA office. Staff can look up any grant at no charge, and SASSA says its offices have kiosks and guest Wi-Fi to help with online steps. Your only cost is getting there.
Routes that look free but may not be
- The SRD website in a normal browser. Older guides call the SRD site zero-rated, but we could not find a current official statement that srd.sassa.gov.za is free on any network in a regular browser. Assume it uses your data unless your network confirms otherwise.
- Calling 0800 60 10 11 from a cellphone. SASSA’s own portal warns that cellular calls to the line may be charged, so check with your network first if your airtime is close to zero.
USSD is the route people with basic phones most often ask about, and the one with the least certainty. The code *134*7737# served SRD applicants without smartphones in 2020 and 2021, but SASSA’s 2026 grant booklet no longer lists it among its channels. We could not confirm that the code still works today, let alone whether a session is free or billed to your airtime, so treat it as a gamble rather than a plan. Our USSD page explains what is known.
Routes that use your data or airtime
- WhatsApp on 082 054 0016. This is the number in SASSA’s 2026 booklet. Chat messages use little data, but they still use some unless you have a WhatsApp bundle. See the WhatsApp guide for how the line works.
- Email to GrantEnquiries@sassa.gov.za or SRD@sassa.gov.za, which needs data or Wi-Fi.
- Selfie verification links, which open outside Moya as explained above.
Receiving SASSA’s SMSes, including the PIN for a status check, costs you nothing.
Picking the cheapest option for your situation
- SRD applicant with a smartphone and no data: Moya. It shows the same result as the website.
- Basic phone, no smartphone: borrow a landline for the call centre, or ask at a SASSA office. Don’t rely on USSD.
- Older persons, disability or child grant: these aren’t on the SRD site, so phone the call centre or visit an office.
- Facial verification needed: find free Wi-Fi, such as at a SASSA office, rather than burning a small bundle.
For a side-by-side of every method by grant type rather than by cost, see how to check SASSA status.