“No Increase, No Votes”: Man Heartbroken by Pensioners Protesting for Higher Grant, SA Supports

• Senior citizens affiliated with Pensioners of South Africa (POSA) gathered outside a SASSA office in Durban, demanding their monthly grant be raised from R2,400 to R5,000
• Elderly protesters held cardboard signs and delivered speeches and petitions addressed to President Ramaphosa
• A TikTok video of the protest left South Africans heartbroken, with many saying the current payout is not enough to survive

South Africa's elderly population took to the streets in Durban on 7 September 2026, gathering outside a SASSA office to demand a significant increase in their monthly social grants. TikTok user @sushichefjc captured the demonstration and shared it online, where it quickly struck a nerve with viewers across the country.

The protesters, many of them elderly, carried handmade cardboard signs bearing messages such as "Pensioners Matter" and "Our Dignity Is Not Negotiable." The content creator and podcaster joined the demonstrators, amplifying calls for the monthly old age grant to be increased from its current rate of R2,400 to R5,000. He pointed to rising costs of rent, food, and utilities as proof that the current amount falls dangerously short of what is needed for basic survival.

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Pensioners address Ramaphosa over grant shortfall

Demonstrators addressed President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging the government to treat its elderly citizens with greater financial dignity. The mood at the gathering was one of deep frustration, with speakers arguing that years of insufficient increases had pushed many pensioners into poverty.

Watch the Durban SASSA protest that moved South Africa in the TikTok video below:

Mzansi reacts to the Durban protest

The video moved many South Africans who felt the elderly should not have to fight for a liveable income. South Africans flooded the comments with strong feelings about what they witnessed:

@grany wrote:

"Parliament should hang their head in shame. Thank you, JC wifey and team 🎉."

@Isabella noe🌹 said:

"Our grandparents are paying for many things at the end of the month, and the money is not enough."

@Mr GG commented:

"All seniors should get R5000, and electricity and water bills must be reduced to help our senior citizens give back the interest."

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@Bettag

"No increase, no votes. Start a pensioner party; you’ve got my vote 💯."

@nakes shared:

"Thank you for caring so much. My mom needs to do a review but is unable to due to illness. I have been struggling to get assistance for her."

@Peanut added:

"This country does not respect the aged women, children and animals; too sad."

3 More articles about the SASSA grant

• Calls are growing for the government to increase the monthly SASSA older persons grant from R2,400 to R5,000 to help elderly citizens manage skyrocketing electricity, food, and housing costs.
• Briefly News reported that a nationwide protest by the Pensioners of South Africa movement saw senior citizens picket outside SASSA offices in Athlone, Cape Town, to demand an increase in the monthly old age grant to R5,000.
• Social Development Minister Dina Pule announced plans to roll out self-service SASSA kiosks in public libraries and hire temporary contract staff to curb severe overcrowding and branch congestion.

Source: Briefly News