How to get your South Africa pension statement

Retirement fund statement / SASSA Old Age Grant

Known in English as the Retirement fund statement and state grant record. Look for this name on the site — it may not be translated.

• Your South African ID number, or the passport used while you worked there.
• The name of your employer's pension or provident fund, and its administrator — this is where any accumulated money actually is.
• Your tax number, if you expect to withdraw: SARS clearance governs what leaves the country.

1. 1
   Understand what exists

   South Africa has no contributory state pension. The state Old Age Grant is means-tested and residence-based, administered by SASSA. Occupational retirement funds are private, and that is where a former employee's money sits.

   Open this page ↗
2. 2
   Contact your fund or its administrator

   Your statement comes from the fund, not from a government portal. If the employer has changed hands, the fund usually still exists or has been transferred.
3. 3
   Check the two-pot rules if you still have a live fund

   From September 2024 retirement savings are split into a savings component and a retirement component, with different access rules. It changes what you can take and when.

   Open this page ↗
4. 4
   If you have emigrated, check the tax position first

   SARS governs withdrawals and the tax on pensions paid to non-residents, and treaty relief needs a formal application. Do this before instructing a withdrawal, not after.

   Open this page ↗
5. 5
   Keep the fund statement

   It is the only record of the entitlement, and no state body holds a copy for you.

Your former employer no longer exists

The fund is a separate legal entity from the employer. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority maintains records of funds, and there is a long-standing unclaimed benefits problem in South Africa — searching is worthwhile.

You were told you would get a state pension

The Old Age Grant is means-tested and requires South African residence. If you have emigrated, it is generally not available, and your private fund is the entitlement that travels.

You cannot get the fund to respond

The Pension Funds Adjudicator handles complaints against funds and administrators, and the service is free to members.

Whether SASSA services can be accessed at all from outside South Africa.

Upload the statement to your vault and we'll read the figures out of it — balances, benefits, vesting and retirement ages — and tell you what changed since your last one.