South Africa: Nearly 13 Million Children Rely On the Child Support Grant

South African Treasury
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile greet Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana before he tabled the Budget today.
25 February 2026
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Dylan Bettencourt
  • 12.9 million children receive the Child Support Grant according to the January affordability data.
  • The Child Support Grant is currently set at R560 per child per month in South Africa.

Nearly 13 million children across South Africa rely on the Child Support Grant to survive, according to the January Household Affordability Index.

The data shows that 12.9 million children receive the grant . The value of the grant is R560 per child per month .

This makes the Child Support Grant one of the largest social support programmes in the country. Millions of households depend on it to help cover food and other basic needs.

The January index also shows that the cost of feeding a child a basic nutritious diet is significantly higher than the grant amount. This places additional strain on families who must stretch the grant across food, school and household expenses.

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