Every day the South African Social Security Agency relies on a remarkable piece of information technology (IT) that’s more than 40-years old. The Social Pension Programme – or SOCPEN as it is known – has stood the test of time and still reliably delivers SASSA grants in 2025. Even if it’s on a much, much larger scale than initially anticipated.
The legacy IT system, first initiated in the 1980s, continues to serve as the backbone for an estimated 18-million ‘core’ social grant recipients each month. Social welfare spending is the second highest of all taxpayer money in South Africa (3.6% of GDP). And the nation’s two most important grants – Child Support and Old Age – account for 65% of total grant expenditure. In light of this, the importance of a robust and reliable SOCPEN system cannot be underestimated.
SASSA GRANTS IN 2025
According to a study by Oxford Policy Management, SOCPEN has its roots in a politically transformative period in South African history. At the time of international sanctions due to apartheid, mainframe computers using Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) were the norm. This was particularly well-suited to handle large-scale data processing tasks.
This choice of COBOL would prove prescient, as its reliability to process high volumes of transactions remains relevant for large-scale SASSA grants in 2025. Today, it manages the entire grant administration process (but excludes the R370 Social Relief of Distress). Critical to SOCPEN is maintenance of a comprehensive database of grant recipients. Furthermore, it processes new applications, validates beneficiary information, calculates payment amounts and generates payment instructions to banks.
FOUR-TIMES SCALE
What makes SOCPEN particularly noteworthy is how it’s managed to continue to scale up over four decades. When first implemented, the system handled no more than four-million beneficiaries. Today, SASSA grants in 2025 are successfully delivered to 18-million ‘core’ grant recipients – that’s an increase of four hold. This equates to billions of rands processed each month – a true testament to the robustness of its original architecture.
SASSA fraud and theft was in the headlines in 2024, leading to the suspension of its CEO. However, when you understand how old the IT system is, it’s kind of miraculous there aren’t more system breakdowns. However, maintaining and improving SOCPEN does present many challenges. For example, adding ad hoc biometric data systems like fingerprints and facial recognition is complex. Likewise, cross-referencing data with government entities like Home Affairs, SARS, UIF, Department of Education and SAPS/SIU is not as simple as plugging in.
DURABLE AND ROBUST
Nevertheless, SOCPEN’s proven stability over four decades of operation cannot be taken for granted. For example, the IT system has built-in controls and audit trails to help prevent fraud. Its COBOL foundation, while old, remains highly efficient at processing huge batch transactions required for SASSA grant in 2025. Perhaps understanding its role can help SASSA beneficiaries appreciate the complexity of managing large-scale social assistance programs.
That said, maintaining this legacy system comes with significant challenges. For example, finding COBOL programmers is increasingly difficult as newer generations focus primarily on modern programming languages. Similarly, the system’s age also makes it complex to integrate with contemporary digital banking solutions. Moreover, its continued operation represents a delicate balance between maintaining critical legacy infrastructure, while gradually modernising to meet evolving IT demands.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SASSA SOCPEN IT SYSTEM?
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