"Promise Made": Pensioner Complains About SASSA Pension to Cyril Ramaphosa, SA Notes His Response

• An elderly woman stopped President Cyril Ramaphosa during a community walkabout to tell him her SASSA pension was not enough
• Ramaphosa, wearing an ANC-branded jacket, greeted residents warmly and reportedly responded to the woman's pension complaint
• A video of the exchange posted by My ANC on Facebook went viral, with South Africans praising the gogo's boldness

An elderly South African woman made her feelings known when President Cyril Ramaphosa came to her street. During a community walkabout filmed on 19 October 2026, the gogo told the president plainly that her SASSA pension was too little.

The footage, shared on Facebook by My ANC, captured the kind of candid, unscripted exchange that rarely makes it into formal political coverage. Ramaphosa, dressed in an ANC-branded jacket, moved through what appeared to be a residential street, stopping to hug and greet local residents. Bystanders and officials looked on as the atmosphere stayed relaxed and warm.

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When the president reached the elderly woman, she held nothing back. Speaking partly in Afrikaans, she told him her pension was "te min" (too little). Cyril responded, saying he'd increase it a little. Watch the video below:

Mzansi applaud gogo's boldness

The clip spread quickly, with South Africans charmed by the elderly woman's directness and moved by the warmth of the encounter. Facebook users had plenty to say:

Michael Crowder wrote:

"This granny knows how to negotiate with Ramaphosa... All about the Benjamins 💸💸 well done aunty! ✊🏼"

Albert Coetzee commented:

"So the lady says, 'pension is bietjie min' [a little low], and Rama says, 'we will increase it a bit.' That's a promise made, let's see if it happens."

Charles Tshepo noted:

"Whole black president speaking fluent Afrikaans. Some dude in a shack somewhere in KZN thinks it's AI 😜"

Other Briefly News stories about ANC encounters

• Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae faced direct voter backlash after a township resident refused to engage with her during an ANC campaign walkabout.
• ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe sparked viral commentary after a video showed him telling a female supporter that he had campaigned for her win in the past, but she had never returned the favour.
• An elderly woman confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa during an ANC door-to-door visit in the lead-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections, telling him directly that she would not be voting for the ruling party.

Source: Briefly News