The inflation rate is 3.3%, the lowest it has been since 2004.
Social grants, including old age and disability grants, increased by only R30 from R1,860 to R1,890 a month.
Trade union federation Cosatu lambasted the increases as meagre, pointing out that this would diminish the buying power of grant recipients.
The Association for the Aged (Tafta) has accused the government of failing to adequately support pensioners. The organisation, which operates care homes throughout Durban and has about 5,500 pensioners in its fold, said it was calling out the government following the “dismal 1.16% increase”.
Recent studies have found 87% of the country’s elderly are using their pension social grants to support their adult children and their grandchildren.