ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

Fostering Innovation in South Africa’s Public Sector

Today, more than ever before, South Africa is confronted with many challenges on its path to sustained
growth and development. There is no denying the fact that the country needs to substantially improve
on its growth performance if it is to achieve the goals set out in the National Development Plan
(National Planning Commission, 2013). The need to understand innovation in South Africa’s public
sector environment is pertinent in view of the gross under-performance of state-owned enterprises and
agencies mandated to provided critical services to the citizenry. Many of these public sector
organizations have not achieved expected results, financially or strategically, and have become
burdens on the country and society. The innovation capacity of any organization is related to the
environment within which it is located, and its internal structures and processes (Lewis et al, 2017). The
development and efficiency of public service delivery systems requires input from public service
officers, citizens who use the services delivered by public sector organizations, and wider stakeholders
in the society (Osborne et al., 2016). Such input also serves as a means to establish the legitimacy of
innovation as a public good (Bekkers et al., 2011).

Select a public sector organization in South Africa. This can be a government department, a state-
owned enterprise, or agency. Each group is to analyze the innovation capability of the public sector
organization, and provide innovation solutions to their challenges.

The analysis should include the following:

1. Introduction (10 marks)
2. Analysis of the public sector organization as an entity; their role in the economy of South Africa or
their role in the South African society; what services they offer to the citizenry or stakeholders they
serve, how are citizens/stakeholders being served?, etc. (15 marks)
3. Analysis of the organizational scenario – what are the challenges or shortcomings in the service
delivery levels in the selected public sector organization? What factors are responsible for the poor
levels of service delivery? (15 marks)
4. What innovative solutions can your group provide to improve the performance of the selected
public sector organization thereby adding value to the stakeholders they serve? Your proposed
solutions must be clear in terms of product/service innovation, or process innovation; or paradigm
innovation; or position innovation. (20 marks)
5. Given the knowledge and experience you gained from the assignment, provide responses to the
following questions, and justify your answers on the basis of what you experienced with your
selected public sector organization (20 marks):
 Are public sector organizations, institutions, and agencies capable of innovation?
 If so, under what conditions do public sector organizations innovate?
6. Conclusion (10 Marks)

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7. Referencing (10 marks)

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1. INTRODUCTION

There is an evident need for innovation in South Africa's public sector due to the persistent
underachievement of many public sector entities. These underperforming organizations not only
strain the country financially but also fail to fulfil their crucial role in society. In order to overcome
the underperformance of state-owned businesses and public sector entities, innovation is
crucial in a number of key areas.

Why Innovation Matters?

Innovation is invariably crucial for any organization that seeks to remain relevant in today’s
VUCA environment, and improve efficiency, and deliver better services to its stakeholders.

In the context of public sector organizations, innovation is particularly important as it can directly
impact the lives of millions of citizens who rely on their services. A service innovation changes
the way customers are served and mainly focuses on the introduction of improved or completely
new services to the end users Tidd and Bessant (2021: 5) assert the as much as public services
such as health care, education and social security may not be concerned with generating
profits, but they do affect the quality of life for millions of people.

Fostering Innovation in South Africa’s Public Sector

According to Tidd and Bessant (2021: 6) innovation makes a difference to organisations of all
shapes and sizes, and public sector organisations are not exempt. One of many benefits of
innovation is that it may also provide new methods to serve stakeholders. For an example,
Airbnb revolutionised the hotel industry with their innovative business model and grown the
market in the process. Innovation offers huge challenges and opportunities for the public sector.
However, it is important to do so without increasing the tax burden.

Fostering public sector innovation requires a multi-pronged approach that includes:

 Creating an Enabling Environment. This entails fostering a creative culture, promoting risk-
taking, and providing the required resources and support for new ideas.
 Building Innovation Capacity. This involves training employees in innovation methodologies,
creating cross-functional teams, and establishing partnerships with external organizations.
 Implementing Innovation Management Systems. This entails developing systems for
recognizing, assessing, and implementing novel ideas.

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Why an analysis of the innovation capability SASSA?
Gullmark (2021) defines a company's ability to continually innovate as its capacity to recognize
and seize entrepreneurial possibilities, alter itself to take advantage of these chances, and
benefit both the business and its ecosystem.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has had its fair share of wins and
challenges since its inception. In the past few months, the entity’s capacity to deliver on its
mandate has been tested by the consistent challenges relating to the payment of social grants,
which is pain point for a significant number of social grant recipients.

SASSA distributes beneficiary funds in two options, (1) SASSA makes direct deposits into the
beneficiaries’ preferred bank accounts every month; and (2) the South African Post Office
(SAPO), on behalf of SASSA, deposits social grants into the beneficiaries’ Postbank accounts.

At the heart of SASSA’s woes is the second option which involves SAPO and the Postbank.
SAPO is currently facing significant challenges, including financial difficulties, outdated
technology, and a negative public image. In a recent newspaper article, Mbele and Schrieber
(2023: 2) points out that, frequent system breakdowns, cash shortages at Postbank, declined
withdrawals are adding continuous misery for social grant beneficiaries who struggle to feed
their families. Some would even go to an extent of borrowing money in order to get to various
pay points and only to return home empty handed as their SASSA cards declined. Some even
faint while waiting in long queues.

Thousands of grant recipients continue to fail to receive their money due to the persistent
glitches at Postbank due to its new malfunctioning system (Masungwini, 2023). About 40% of
South Africa’s 5,3 million old-age grant beneficiaries receive their money through Postbank.
This percentage represents unbanked people in rural areas and townships.

In the same newspaper article (Masungwini, 2023), Minister for Communications and Digital
Technologies which oversees the South African Post Office and Postbank, Minister Mondli
Gungubele, revealed that the former board of the SAPO had illegally paid a software provider
R140million without following public finance laws. This is the same system that experiences
frequent technical glitches.

While there are many challenges facing SASSA, this analysis will focus on the inefficiencies of
the systems and processes that SASSA uses to administer the grants, and the challenges that
the entity encounters in administering the grants, with a view to provide fit-for-purpose
innovation solutions to this pertinent issue.

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2. ANALYSIS OF SASSA AS A PUBLIC ENTITY

The Role of SASSA in the Economy of South Africa

Public entities are important as they play a significant role in helping Government fulfil various
service delivery imperatives. According to SASSA (2023: 74) “the agency, a 3A Public Entity
established in terms of an Act of Parliament (SASSA Act No. 9 of 2004), is mandated to execute
a constitutional state obligation of supporting South Africans who are unable to support
themselves and their dependents with the goal to alleviate poverty”.

As an agency of the Department of Social Development, “SASSA administers Social Assistance

in terms of the Social Assistance Act 2004 (Act 13 of 2004)”. The management of the
government-funded social assistance program has been the primary emphasis of SASSA since
its founding (Molefi and Hoque, 2021). SASSA plays a critical role in the South African economy
by providing social assistance to millions of vulnerable citizens. This social safety net helps to
alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and promote social stability. There is evidence that the
social wage has made a significant impact on quality of life (South African National Planning
Commission, 2023: 49).

What services does SASSA offer to the citizenry or stakeholders they serve?
According to SASSA (2023: 20), Through the following grant kinds, SASSA provides services to
a client population that includes individuals in distress, people with impairments, and older
adults:

 “Old Age Grant: Grant given to persons 60 years and older;

 Disability Grant: Grant for persons with disability between 18 to 59 years;
 War Veteran: Grant awarded to veterans of the 2nd World War or the Korean War;
 Grant in Aid: Grant for both disabled and older people who require assistance with activities
of daily living;
 Foster Child Grant: Grant for children in need of protection and placed in foster care. The
grant can be extended up to the age of 21 on condition that the child is still studying;
 Child Support Grant: Grant for children 0 to 18 years;
 Care Dependency Grant: Grant awarded to care givers of children who are severely disabled
and require permanent care; and
 Social Relief of Distress: Grant for temporary assistance in stipulated situations of destitution
and hardship.” (SASSA, 2023).

Unlike major public entities, also known as State-Owned Enterprises who are designed to
operate as sustainable businesses that generate profits, public entities tasked with fulfilling
public social responsibilities such as health care, education and social security are not

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necessarily concerned with generating profits (Tidd and Bessant, 2021: 5). “The service fee paid
by SASSA for the disbursement of social grants are as follows: Cash Pay Point: R188.81 per
beneficiary, these payment points are located mostly in rural areas; SAPO branches: R72.95
per beneficiary; and National Payment System: R7.14 per beneficiary, these include banks and
retailers” (SASSA, 2023). To this effect, it is alarming that SASSA, as a public entity, spends so
much money on the social assistance service fees paying another public entity, SAPO and its
subsidiary, Postbank.

How are citizens or stakeholders being served?

SASSA has a mammoth task in line with its mandate to administer Social Assistance. The
agency pays about “18 million social grants to 11.2 million beneficiaries every month” (SASSA,
2023: 35). The monthly transfers to recipients are roughly R14.5 billion per month.

SASSA provides its services through a network of local offices and pay points across the
country. Additionally, SASSA has introduced various electronic payment options, including
direct deposits into bank accounts and the SASSA card, a debit card that can be used at ATMs
and retail outlets. Beneficiaries have a choice to be paid through their preferred bank accounts,
or the Postbank accounts.

In May 2023, SASSA made a presentation to Parliament about how payments are made to
individuals:

 “SAPO/SASSA Card = 35% of beneficiaries

 Post Bank Card = 11% of beneficiaries
 Other Bank Cards (paid into accounts by Post Bank) = 52% of beneficiaries
 Post Office = less than 1% of beneficiaries
 Cash Paypoints = 1% of beneficiaries” (SASSA, 2023).

Nearly half of all recipients are SASSA and Postbank cardholders, and they are the most
vulnerable and prone to the payment technical glitches.

At the present moment, the quality of service delivery in respect of grant distribution is
concerning, and this casts doubt on SASSA’s capacity to deliver on its mandate. Grant
beneficiaries are frustrated and disheartened by the poor services emanating from the new
malfunctioning payment system (Masungwini, 2023).

The official distribution agent, SAPO (including Postbank), has massively contributed to the
grant payment related challenges of SASSA. If the recent newspaper articles about the
persistent inefficiencies of the grant payment systems (Mbele and Schrieber, 2023, and

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Masungwini, 2023) are anything to go by, it will seem that SASSA’s commitment of “Paying the
right social grant, to the right person, at the right time and place. NJALO!” (SASSA, 2023), is
nothing but a slogan.

Encouraging innovation inside SASSA is crucial to provide remedies that can include
strengthening service accessibility, increasing grant distribution efficiency, and streamlining
processes. Some innovative solutions will be suggested in Section 4 of this analysis as to how
investing in innovation and research can help the entity to fulfil its mandate and serve its
stakeholders well.

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3. ANALYSIS OF SASSA’S CHALLENGES

Overview of Challenges Facing SASSA

Scher, May, and Abrahams-Fayker (2023) state that South Africa boasts one of the world's
largest social grant payout systems. In 2018, SASSA and SAPO concluded the necessary
agreements to regularise their cooperation in the administration and distribution of social
grants. In 2022, SAPO transferred its duties to SASSA to its subsidiary, the Postbank, due to
capacity constraints. The decision was made after months of administrative obstacles,
technological issues, corruption, and inability to fulfil on their responsibility to pay social benefits,
the decision was taken (Cloete, 2023).

Recently, it has been reported on numerous occasions that SAPO had failed to adhere to
scheduled payment times. In 2022, this challenge continued for 6 months. As a result, punitive
fines were imposed on SASSA for failing to pay social handouts on schedule for 6 months in a
row (Felix, 2023). However, imposing these such punitive measures have not yielded any
desired outcomes in terms of “paying the right social grant, to the right person, at the right time
and place”.

Cloete (2023) asserts that it appears that Postbank's ability, knowledge, and technological
infrastructure were not properly evaluated before the decision was made to use Postbank to
oversee the social grant system.

In its SWOT Analysis (SASSA, 2023: 30), the entity lists “Outsourcing of its grant payment
function” as one its weaknesses, and “Dependency on external functions to carry out core
functions” as one its threats (SASSA, 2023: 31). Indeed, the SASSA and SAPO partnership,
which was ceded to the Postbank, has proven to be a weakness and a threat to SASSA. It is
somewhat encouraging that SASSA is acutely aware that outsourcing such an important core
function is a threat to the entity. However, what is concerning is that the SASSA and its
shareholder Department are moving at a snail’s pace towards resolving the challenges at hand.

The relationship in the management and payment of social grants is complex. The Department
of Social Development is the main shareholder, while SASSA is the agency tasked with this
important function, and SASSA entered into an agreement with SAPO, which in turn ceded its
obligations to its subsidiary, the Postbank. This complex relationship contributes a great deal to
lack and/or poor accountability.

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Service Delivery Challenges and Factors Contributing to the Poor Service Delivery Levels
In line with the pertinent issue at hand, i.e. the inefficiencies of the systems and processes,
SASSA faces a number challenges relating to administering social grants, including the
following:

 Limited Resources: SASSA is often understaffed and underfunded, making it difficult to

meet the needs of its large beneficiary base. Moreover, outdated infrastructure and
inefficient processes often lead to long queues and waiting times at SASSA’s local offices,
and at Post Offices. Queue management has proven to be ineffectual. To guarantee that
vulnerable persons do not have to travel far to reach an SASSA office and spend a large
portion of their welfare assistance on transportation, a larger footprint of service and pay
locations is necessary. This is causing strain to beneficiaries as some must borrow
transport money in order to get to various pay points (Mbele and Schrieber (2023: 2).

 Grant Payment System: The current grant payment system, which seems to be unreliable,
is at the heart of poor grant payment service delivery. This challenge needs to be dealt with
urgently so that SASSA can perform at its optimal level. The payment system experiences
frequent technical glitches. According to Fraser (2023), since Postbank took over Sassa
payments, there has never been smooth payment of grants. Beneficiaries continue to
struggle with withdrawing funds due to system failures.

 Grant Payment Method: There are various electronic payment options where beneficiaries
have a choice to be paid directly by SASSA through their preferred bank accounts, or
through the Postbank accounts. According to SASSA’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025
(2023), 29% of the beneficiaries are paid into their personal bank accounts held at various
commercial banks. The remaining 71% of the beneficiaries are paid through SAPO
(Postbank), and this is where poor service delivery is the highest. While grant beneficiaries
can also collect their social grants from retail outlets such as Boxer, Pick n Pay, Spar,
Shoprite and Usave, the majority of them still go to the SAPO branches due to accessibility,
especially in the rural areas. However, most post office branches often do not have
sufficient cash on hand. Mbele and Schrieber (2023: 2) report that some beneficiaries stand
for hours in queues at post office branches, only to be informed at till point that there was
no money as the branch would have run out of cash.

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  Lack of Communication and Transparency: SASSA has been criticized for its lack of
communication with beneficiaries and the public, leading to confusion and frustration. For
an example, when the grants payment function was ceded to Postbank, there was no
proper communication. The arrangement was only announced by the time it was
implemented. SASSA ought to improve in terms of communication and transparency to
avoid further frustration of beneficiaries.
4. PROPOSED INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SASSA’S CHALLENGES

SASSA has done fairly well in the past few years to overcome many of its challenges including
the transition of grant payment from CPS to SAPO (SASSA, 2023: 25). However, the image of
the organisation has dwindled over the past few months, owing to the recent grant payment
related challenges experienced at SAPO and Postbank.

SASSA’s mandate to administer Social Assistance to deserving beneficiaries in the form of

grants fully funded by Government remains a critical service, and no improvements are
necessary at the moment in terms of the service itself. However, the service delivery
challenges outlined above provides an opportunity for SASSA to explore process innovation in
order to improve the way in which the social grants are distributed. Process innovation type is
concerned with changes in the ways in which the offerings are delivered (Tidd and Bessant,
2021:24).

Figure 1: The 4P’s of Innovation Space Model

PRODUCT PARADIGM
[Radical … Incremental] [Incremental … Radical]

INNOVATION
[Radical … Incremental] [Incremental … Radical]

PROCESS POSITION

Source: Own editing, adapted from Tidd and Bessant (2021:25)

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It is worth noting that, although it is experiencing frequent glitches, there is an existing grant
disbursement system. According to Minister Mondli Gungubele (Masungwini, 2023), this system
was acquired for a whooping R140million. To this end, it will not be a plausible idea to overhaul
the whole system since, (1) it was an expensive acquisition, (2) glitches do not occur during
each and every payout day, and (3) it does not affect all beneficiaries, but only those who get
their grant money from SASSA payout points and the Post Offices.
If SASSA desires to fulfil its promise of “Paying the right social grant, to the right person, at the
right time and place”, SASSA must improve the grant administration and payment system,
and remove systematic challenges in order to eliminate numerous system failures that
cause unnecessary delays in grant payouts. To this end, the following improvements to
the grant payment processes are recommended:

Table 1: Proposed Improvements to SASSA’s Grant Payment Processes

# Solution Key Benefits

1 Improve Modernisation of Fully automating all of SASSA's business procedures is

Business Process essential to ensure that the organization can react
quickly and effectively to the growing demand for its
services. The entity must first improve the automation of
its grant application process because that is where
challenges start, and then progressively switch to
contemporary alternatives to increase efficacy and
efficiency.

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# Solution
2 Expand Grant Payment
Options and Value Chain
3
Revise the Grant Payment
Model
Key Benefits
In order to move with the times, SASSA must broaden
the present primarily cash-based payment approach to
include additional electronic payment methods and
possibilities. Currently, grant beneficiaries’ cash-based
payment options include retail outlets such as Boxer,
Pick n Pay, Spar, Shoprite and Usave, while electronic-
based payment options include various commercial
banks.
SASSA must also embrace digital banks as part of the
grant administration and payment of the value chain.
Digital banks have disrupted the cosy position of
commercial banks, brought product innovation and
driving down the costs of payments. The newly
established digital banks, such as Bank Zero, Discovery
Bank and TymeDigital could be a good alternative to
cash-based payment methods which often leads to long
queues at SASSA pay points and SAPO branches.
Moreover, SASSA will save a lot of money that it pays to
SAPO and Postbank as part of the grant distribution in
service fees.
Given the current challenges in the complex relationship
between SASSA and SAPO and its subsidiary -
Postbank, it is recommended that SASSA should now
consider insourcing the grant payment function. This
move will ensure that SASSA ultimately oversees and
handles essential areas of grant administration and
value chain payment. Collaboration with SAPO and
Postbank must be limited to that of pay points for a few
grant beneficiaries who would not be part of the
electronic-based payment method, such as those in the
rural areas.
In essence, this will be a fully insourced grant
administration and payment model which will save the
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 # Solution Key Benefits
Government a lot of money that is paid to SAPO, and
service the citizens better effectively and efficiently. The
overall aim will be to gradually migrate to a well-capable
SASSA capable of providing end-to-end grants
administration and payment services to beneficiaries.

To reduce the danger of interruptions in the payment of

social benefits, the proposed transition must be
implemented in a methodical way.

4 Invest in Innovation and
Research
R&D expenditure in public entities keeps declining. Once
the grant payment function has been fully insourced, it
will be imperative for SASSA to establish R&D unit to
explore further incremental innovative solutions or even
radical solutions in future, in order to keep pace with the
latest technological developments, and “pay the right
social grant, to the right person, at the right time and
place”.

The R&D unit could leverage data analytics to identify

trends, predict potential issues, and improve systems
timeously.

5. ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION CAPABILITIES

There is no doubt that the majority of public sector entities and agencies, mandated to
provided critical services to the citizenry, are under-performing. Their under-performance has
reached worrying levels, and has far-reaching effects on the most vulnerable in the society
which must be served by these very public entities.

Are public sector organizations capable of innovation?

Public sector organizations are more than capable of innovation. The key is to create an
enabling environment, build innovation capacity, and implement effective innovation
management systems.

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Public sector innovation is disputed by a wide range of stakeholders. Unlike much private-sector
innovation, public-sector innovation is motivated by various and often contradictory impulses,
and the rewards and incentives may be missing or modified (Tidd and Bessant, 2021: 80).
Public sector organizations, in particular, take responsibilities for assuring the supply of critical
services; they must balance not simply risk and profit, but also reliability. As a result of the
ramifications of failed ideas, there is an unavoidable propensity to be risk adverse.

What conditions require public sector organizations to innovate?

Arundel, Bloch and Ferguson (2019) assert that there are several reasons why public sector
organizations may face pressure to innovate, from budgetary limits to public demand for new or
enhanced services.. Public administration must embrace a new strategy to providing public
services that reduces bureaucracy and the administrative load on its citizens and officials.

Over the past two decades, the term innovation has gained a lot of traction in the public sector
as Governments look for answers to urgent problems while operating under the unavoidable
budgetary restrictions they confront, they have increasingly relied on the concept of innovation
to assist them solve the complexities of the challenges they face (Lewis, McGann and
Blomkamp, 2020).

Tidd and Bessant (2021: 79) assert that the most common forms of innovation that public sector
organizations are concerned with is (1) Process Innovation, i.e. the challenge of becoming
faster and more adaptive in adapting to a changing environment or of making better use of
sometimes scarce resources, and (2) Product Innovation, i.e. merging new and current
information to create fresh or enhanced product ideas.

The fundamental issue with public sector innovation is that it is frequently done on an as-
needed basis. For example, in reaction to changing policies, budgetary demands, or demand for
new or enhanced services. The best option is to create a governance framework that
encourages innovation to be strategically managed, with innovation acting as a constant
approach to achieving efficiency and service targets throughout the public sector..

According to Molefi and Hoque (2021) organisations that fall behind in terms of innovation and
learning are likely to lose relevance or market share. Therefore, the underlying principle is to
build an organizational competence to systematically increase innovation outputs over time,
rather than focusing on ad hoc initiatives or relying on external contractors, which do nothing to
improve the organizational capability for innovation.

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 Arundel, Bloch and Ferguson (2019) suggest that one important element that either helps or
hinders innovation in the public sector is the organizational or workplace culture. The top-down
innovation strategy is among the main reasons that inhibit innovation in the public sector.

“The top-down innovations are often associated with changes in government, new mandates, or
large-scale initiatives, and can involve a combination of new policy goals and frameworks, which
are sometimes associated with new ideologies, as well as new concepts of services and service
delivery. The circumstances for effective implementation of innovations are a critical policy
problem for top-down innovation” (Arundel, Bloch and Ferguson, 2019).

On the other hand, the bottom-up innovations are often generated at lower levels of public
sector organizations or within specific work units, and they depend on the initiative of individuals
and work units to identify and explore ideas. Key policy-relevant concerns for bottom-up
innovations include employee competencies, environments that can encourage workers and
middle management to contribute to innovation.

Public sector organisations that innovate create public value (Muzamhindo, 2016). From the
analysis of SASSA Biometric payment system, it offers many advantages and gains to all its
stakeholders and to the entity itself. The only thing that the system requires are incremental
improvements.

6. CONCLUSION

From the above analysis, a conclusion can be drawn that SASSA is one of the public sector
entities that have come under scrutiny for poor service delivery, mismanagement, and fraud,
despite the fact that it is a department that impacts the life of every person in the country.

Public sector Innovation can radically change the face of governance in public sector
organisations, as they offer individuals with a point of contact for improved and more efficient
government services, and also improve the quality of life in the process.

Therefore, continuous innovation is essential for SASSA to improve service delivery and fulfill its
purpose of providing social assistance to South Africans in need. By adopting innovative

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 approaches and embracing new technologies, SASSA can enhance its efficiency, transparency,
and responsiveness to the needs of its beneficiaries.

If SASSA desires to become an innovative organisation, the entity should not only improve the
system and hope that everything will be smooth afterwards. An innovative organization is more
than simply procedures, it is an integrated collection of components that work together to
generate and reinforce the type of environment in which innovation may thrive (Tidd and
Bessant, 2021: 166).

To this end, as part of its innovation strategy, SASSA must also consider High-involvement
Innovation which will be key in encouraging organisation-wide continuous improvement to its
innovation capabilities. As much as one of the proposed solutions is to establish an R&D unit,
but the creative skills are possessed by almost everyone in the organisation.

7. REFERENCES

Books and Journals

Arundel, A., Bloch, C. and Ferguson, B., 2019. Advancing innovation in the public sector: Aligning
innovation measurement with policy goals. Research policy, 48(3), pp.789-798. Available:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.12.001 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Gullmark, P., 2021. Do all roads lead to innovativeness? A study of public sector organizations’
innovation capabilities. The American Review of Public Administration, 51(7), pp.509-525.
Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074021101 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

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Lewis, J.M., McGann, M. and Blomkamp, E., 2020. When design meets power: Design thinking,
public sector innovation and the politics of policymaking. Policy & Politics, 48(1), pp.111-130.
Available: https://doi.org/10.1332/030557319X15579230420081 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Molefi, C. and Hoque, M., 2021. The Importance of Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Case Analysis of
South African Social Service Agency (SASSA). Available: https://www.dpublication.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/10/5-3017.pdf (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Muzamhindo, S., 2016. Creating Public Value through Innovation (E-government) and Improvement:
Case study of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Alice Office, Eastern
Cape (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University). Available:
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/188222724.pdf (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Tidd, J. and Bessant, J. 2021. Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and
Organisational Change. 7th ed. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing.

Government Publications
South Africa, National Planning Commission. 2023. A Review of the National Development Plan
2030. Available: https://shorturl.at/lDQ39 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

South Africa, South African Social Security Agency. 2023. SASSA Annual Report - 2020-2021.
Available: https://www.sassa.gov.za/Pages/Annual-Reports.aspx (Accessed 21 October 2023).

South Africa, South African Social Security Agency. 2023. SASSA Revised Annual Performance Plan
2020/21 – 2021/22. Available: https://shorturl.at/inyG8 (Accessed 21 October 2023).

South Africa, South African Social Security Agency. 2023. SASSA Strategic Plan 2020-2025.
Available: https://shorturl.at/iqvKW (Accessed 07 October 2023).
Newspapers and Magazines
Masungwini, N. 2023. ‘R15 Billion of Grant Money Returned to Treasury’. City Press,
17 September, p. 1.

Mbele, T., and Schrieber, S. 2023. ‘Sassa beneficiaries turned away at paypoints again’. Sowetan,
13 September, p. 2.

Scher, A., May, A., and Abrahams-Fayker, H., 2023. ‘Social grant payments by Postbank and the SA
Post Office – where is the oversight?’. Daily Maverick, 30 March. Available:
https://shorturl.at/FIK19 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

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Internet Sources
Cloete, R., 2023. This Is Why Sassa Faced Grant Payment Challenges. Available:
https://shorturl.at/lpCIX (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Felix, J., 2023. ‘Sassa penalises SA Post Office over poor service delivery, constant glitches’. News
24, 15 February. Available: https://shorturl.at/jlJN1 (Accessed 07 October 2023).

Fraser, A., 2023. ‘Since Postbank took over Sassa payments, we haven't seen a smooth payment
month’. 702, 9 September. Available: https://shorturl.at/ltR15 (Accessed 21 October 2023).

Torkelson, E., 2017. The World Bank’s role in SA’s social grants payment system. GroundUp.
Available: https://shorturl.at/abgr0 (Accessed 7 October 2023).

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