Changing the phone number attached to an SRD grant matters more than it sounds, because SASSA uses the registered number to send payment notifications and status updates, and to verify you when you check an application. If the number is out of date you may not learn that a payment has been approved, declined or reversed. The official route for changing it is SASSA’s SRD self-service portal at srd.sassa.gov.za, which is where SRD applications, status checks and detail changes are all handled. There is an important caveat as at 30 August 2026: the portal was returning the message “The Service is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.” on every attempt. That outage may well be temporary, so try it first — but if it does not load, the fallback routes below are the ones SASSA publishes, and they still work.
Official task and support route
- SRD self-service portal: srd.sassa.gov.za — the official channel for SRD applications, status checks and changes to your details. Try this first.
- National toll-free line: 0800 60 10 11
- Email: [email protected] — the better route for a change of details, because it leaves a written record of what you asked for and when.
- In person: your local SASSA service office. SASSA publishes a national directory of service offices by province, district, municipality and ward.
- Regional office: the province where you applied, if the national line cannot resolve it.
What you need before contacting
- Your South African ID number, which is the identifier the SRD system is built around.
- The phone number currently registered on the application, as well as the new one. If you no longer have access to the old number, say so up front — it changes how SASSA verifies you.
- The new number, active and in your possession. Verification is normally sent to it, so it must be a line you can answer.
- Your application reference, if you have one from when the grant was lodged.
A note on eligibility, since it often comes up in the same call: the SRD grant is open to South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, holders of a special permit under the Angolan, Lesotho or Zimbabwe exemption dispensations, and asylum seekers with a valid section 22 permit, who are aged between 18 and 60 and currently resident in South Africa.
Step-by-step contact process
- Go to srd.sassa.gov.za and look for the option to update your details. This is the channel SASSA intends you to use, and it is the fastest when the portal is working.
- If the portal shows a service-unavailable message, do not assume the address is wrong or search for an alternative site. Wait and retry, and use a fallback in the meantime.
- Email [email protected] with your ID number, the old number, the new number and your request in plain terms. Keep the sent message.
- Or call 0800 60 10 11 and record the reference, the date and the consultant’s name.
- If neither resolves it, attend your local service office in person with your ID document.
- Once changed, verify it worked by checking your application status and confirming the notification reaches the new number.
Because the portal was unavailable when this page was checked, the exact sequence of screens inside it could not be verified and is deliberately not described here. Follow the portal’s own instructions when it loads rather than any third-party walkthrough.
Escalation route
If the change does not take effect, escalate from the national line to the regional office for the province where you applied, and put the request in writing to [email protected] so there is a dated record. Quote your ID number every time.
One warning belongs on this page more than most. People trying to update SRD details are a standing target for fraud, and the scams follow a pattern: a site or a person offering to change your details or release a payment for a fee, or asking for your banking PIN or a one-time password. SASSA does not charge to change your contact details, does not charge to process an SRD application, and no legitimate SASSA process requires your PIN or OTP. The only official SRD address is srd.sassa.gov.za, and the only official agency site is sassa.gov.za. Treat every other site, and every WhatsApp number claiming to be SASSA, as unverified — the agency’s WhatsApp presence is a broadcast channel, not a contact line.
Sources
The contact routes, portal address and SRD eligibility criteria on this page were read from SASSA’s own website at sassa.gov.za on 30 August 2026. The SRD portal at srd.sassa.gov.za was checked on the same date and returned a service-unavailable message, which is reported above as observed rather than worked around. No step inside the portal has been described or inferred. Confirm against sassa.gov.za before relying on any of it.