In short: To change the cellphone number on your COVID-19 SRD grant, use the mobile number update page on the official SRD portal. You enter your 13-digit South African ID number and then pass a facial recognition check, so you need a phone or computer with a working camera. If you cannot do it online, call the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11. It is free and you never have to pay anyone to change your number.
Your SRD number matters more than most people realise. SASSA uses it to send your status updates, payment SMSs and one-time PINs (OTPs), and the portal uses it when you check your status or lodge an appeal. If the number is wrong or lost, you can be locked out of your own application.
When you need to change your SRD cellphone number
- You lost your phone or SIM card, or it was stolen.
- You moved to a new network and got a new number.
- You applied with a family member’s or friend’s phone and now have your own.
- Someone else changed the number on your application without your permission.
- You typed the number wrongly when you applied.
If your old number was stolen or changed without your consent, treat it as urgent. Whoever controls that number can receive your OTPs and SASSA messages. Our guide on protecting yourself from SIM swap fraud explains how to lock down your SIM and banking apps as well.
How to change your SRD number online, step by step
SASSA’s 2026 grant booklet says applicants who want to change their cell phone number must undergo facial recognition verification. The update page itself says SASSA first needs to verify that you are the original applicant. In practice that means:
- Go to srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/mobile-number-update. Type the address yourself or use the link from the official SRD portal. Do not use a link from a WhatsApp group or Facebook post.
- Enter your 13-digit South African ID number to start the identity check.
- Allow the site to use your camera and complete the facial recognition step. Take off a hat or sunglasses, find good light and hold your face still in the frame.
- Once SASSA has confirmed it is you, enter your new cellphone number. Check every digit before you submit.
- If the portal sends a one-time PIN to your new number, type it in yourself. Never read it out or forward it to anyone.
- When you are done, check your SRD status using your ID number and the new number to confirm the change went through.
The new number should be a South African number that is RICA registered in your own name. That matters if you are paid by cash send or a mobile wallet, because the payment SMS and PIN go to your registered number.
If the facial check fails or you cannot get online
The face check matches your live photo against official identity records. It can fail because of poor light, a weak connection or an old camera. Try again in daylight on a different device before you give up.
If it still fails, or you have no smartphone or data, the SRD portal tells applicants to call the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11 (also written 0800 601 011) to update the mobile number. Have your ID number ready. A genuine SASSA agent will not ask you for money, your bank PIN or your banking app password.
You can also go to your nearest SASSA office with your ID. Find the address on SASSA’s list of service offices. Phone the office first if you can to check its hours. For every other official channel, see our list of official SASSA SRD contacts.
Asylum seekers and special permit holders
The online update page asks for a 13-digit South African ID number. If you applied with an asylum seeker file number or a special permit from Zimbabwe, Angola or Lesotho, call the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11 and ask how to update your number for your type of document.
Avoid number change scams
Changing your number is a favourite target for scammers, because whoever controls the number controls your application. SASSA has warned beneficiaries that people offering “help” on WhatsApp have used applicants’ details to change contact numbers on their behalf, and that SASSA staff cannot change your contact details without your own request and OTP.
- Only use pages on sassa.gov.za or srd.sassa.gov.za.
- Never pay anyone to change your number. The service is free.
- Never share an OTP, your ID photo or a selfie with someone who contacted you first.
- If you suspect fraud, report it on SASSA’s anti-fraud line, 0800 701 701, as listed in the 2026 grant booklet.
What changing your number does and does not affect
Updating your cellphone number changes how SASSA contacts you and how you log in to the portal. It does not change your banking details, and it does not by itself approve, decline or speed up your grant. If your status shows approved but you have not been paid, that is a separate problem: read why your SRD is approved but not paid. For applying, status checks, declines and appeals, see our full SASSA SRD grant guide for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Use the mobile number update page on srd.sassa.gov.za. You enter your South African ID number and complete a facial recognition check before you can add the new number.
The update page starts with your ID number and a face check to prove you are the original applicant, rather than asking for your old number. If you cannot complete it, call 0800 60 10 11.
Yes. Call the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11, or visit a SASSA office with your ID. The SRD portal itself points applicants to the call centre to update a mobile number.
No. SASSA does not charge to change your number. Anyone asking for payment is a scammer.
Changing your number should not cancel your grant, but check your status afterwards with the new number. If you are paid by cash send, make sure the new number is RICA registered in your name.
SASSA says its staff cannot change your contact details without your request. If your number was changed without your consent, update it yourself through the official page and report it to the anti-fraud line on 0800 701 701.
Sources
- SASSA COVID-19 SRD portal, mobile number update page, checked 30 October 2026.
- SASSA COVID-19 SRD portal home page (call centre route for updating a mobile number), checked 30 October 2026.
- SASSA, You and Your Grants booklet 2026 (PDF), facial recognition for number changes, contact and anti-fraud numbers.
- SASSA service offices, checked 30 October 2026.
- SASSA media statement on verifying contact details to avoid scammers (gov.za).
Last checked: 30 October 2026. Steps and phone numbers come from SASSA’s own SRD portal, website and 2026 grant booklet. SASSA sometimes changes how its portal works, so follow the prompts on the official page if they differ from the steps above. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.