The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has urged caregivers of orphans to apply for the extended child support grant.
The agency recently topped up the R480 grant with an additional R240 for guardians who care for orphaned children.
The grant is now R720 and can be paid out in cash on specific days at pay points or paid directly into a bank account.
Sassa requests caregivers of children whose parents are both deceased or the whereabouts of one of the parents is not known to apply for the extended child support grant.
The grant is aimed at helping extended family care for orphaned children.
To qualify for the extended child support grant, the caregiver must produce the death certificates for both parents or death certificate for the primary parent with an affidavit confirming that the whereabouts of the remaining parent are unknown and that he/she plays no role in taking care of the child, said Sassa.