Use this guide to find South African government service numbers for common public-service tasks, including SASSA grants, UIF claims, SARS tax help, Home Affairs enquiries, police emergencies, service-delivery complaints, and corruption reporting.
Quick answer: there is no single phone number or USSD code for every South African government service. Choose the department or task you need, then confirm the latest contact route before sharing personal information. For USSD options, start with public service USSD codes instead of guessing a code.
Last checked: 26 June 2026.
Quick Government Contact Numbers List
| Service or task | Number or route | Use it for | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SASSA grants | 0800 60 10 11 | Grant enquiries, payout dates, qualifying rules, application issues, district office contacts, and reporting grant fraud | SASSA lists this as its toll-free grant information number, but notes that toll-free calls apply to landlines and cellphone calls may have additional costs. (SASSA Services Portal) |
| UIF | 0800 030 007 | UIF claims, uFiling help, unemployment benefits, maternity benefits, and UIF complaints | The Department of Employment and Labour lists UIF call-centre hours as Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 16:00. (Department of Labour) |
| SARS Contact Centre | 0800 00 7277 | Tax enquiries, appointments, SARS online help, tax numbers, and account queries | SARS lists its Contact Centre hours as weekdays 08:00 to 16:00, except Wednesdays 09:00 to 16:00, and closed on weekends and public holidays. (South African Revenue Service) |
| SARS USSD | *134*7277# | Selected personal income tax services from a cellphone | SARS says the USSD service is for specific Personal Income Tax services and is free of charge. (South African Revenue Service) |
| Home Affairs | 0800 601 190 | ID, passport, eHomeAffairs, birth, marriage, death, and status enquiries | eHomeAffairs lists the Home Affairs Contact Centre number as 0800 601 190. (Ehome) |
| SAPS emergency | 10111 | Police emergencies or reporting a crime that needs urgent help | SAPS says emergencies or crimes can be reported by calling 10111 or contacting the nearest police station. (saps.gov.za) |
| SAPS Crime Stop | 08600 10111 | Anonymous crime tip-offs | SAPS says Crime Stop is for anonymous criminal-activity reports and is operational 24/7. (saps.gov.za) |
| SAPS service complaints | 0800 333 177 | Complaints about SAPS service delivery | SAPS lists this route for registering SAPS service-delivery complaints. (saps.gov.za) |
| Presidential Hotline | 17737 | Unresolved government service complaints | Gov.za says the Presidential Hotline should be used when attempts to get help from a department, province, municipality, or state agency have failed. (Government of South Africa) |
| National Anti-Corruption Hotline | 0800 701 701 | Reporting fraud or corruption in a state department or state entity | Gov.za lists 0800 701 701 as the National Anti-Corruption Hotline. (Government of South Africa) |
The safest way to use this list is to start with the service you need. Do not call random numbers from social media comments, WhatsApp broadcasts, or sponsored posts unless you can confirm them on an official government, department, or public-entity website.
Browse by Provider, Bank, or Task
Provider-specific links
Use these pages when you already know the department or service you need:
| Provider or service | Best next page | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Public-service USSD options | public service USSD codes | You want to check whether a government-related service has a verified USSD route. |
| SASSA | SASSA contact number | You need grant help, payout guidance, SASSA office contact details, or fraud-reporting guidance. |
| UIF | UIF contact number | You need help with UIF claims, uFiling, benefits, complaint routes, or call-centre details. |
| Home Affairs | Home Affairs contact number | You need help with IDs, passports, certificates, status checks, or eHomeAffairs. |
| Government-service scams | report fake SASSA website | You received a suspicious grant, tax, UIF, Home Affairs, or government-support message. |
Task-specific links
| What you need to do | Start here |
|---|---|
| Find a verified government USSD code | public service USSD codes |
| Contact SASSA about grants | SASSA contact number |
| Contact UIF about a claim | UIF contact number |
| Contact Home Affairs about ID or passport services | Home Affairs contact number |
| Report or check a suspicious SASSA-style message | report fake SASSA website |
Bank-specific notes
Banks are not the main focus of this page, but they may become relevant when a government service involves payments, refunds, grant deposits, or bank-detail verification. For example, a SASSA grant, SARS refund, or UIF payment may involve your bank account.
Do not update banking details through a link sent by an unknown SMS, WhatsApp message, Facebook page, or caller. SARS warns users about fake messages asking for personal, tax, banking, or eFiling details, and says SARS will never ask for credit-card details. (South African Revenue Service)
How to Use These USSD Codes
This page is mainly a contact-number directory. Only use USSD when the relevant department has published a verified code for that task.
- Choose the correct government service first.
Decide whether your issue is about grants, UIF, tax, Home Affairs, police, corruption, or unresolved service delivery. This helps you avoid calling the wrong helpline. - Check whether a verified USSD option exists.
Not every government service has a USSD code. SARS publishes *134*7277# for selected personal income tax services, but that does not make it a general government-service code. (South African Revenue Service) - Use the number or code exactly as shown by the official source.
Do not add extra digits, reply to unknown prompts, or follow an unofficial menu path from a forwarded message. - Prepare the right information before you call.
You may need your ID number, reference number, application number, tax number, UIF reference, or case number. Only share information through a verified route. - Stop if the request feels unsafe.
A legitimate department may need to verify who you are, but you should not share your banking PIN, card PIN, OTP, eFiling password, full card details, or CVV number through an unsafe channel. - Keep a record of the interaction.
Save the date, time, number used, reference number, and the name of the department or service route. This helps if you need to follow up. - Use escalation routes only after trying the responsible service.
The Presidential Hotline is for government-service concerns where attempts to get help from the responsible department or public body have failed. (Government of South Africa)
Costs, Safety, and Last-Verified Notes
Government service numbers do not all work the same way. Some numbers may be toll-free from landlines, some may cost normal cellular rates, and some digital or USSD routes may have their own conditions.
SASSA states that toll-free calls apply to calls made via landlines and that cellphone calls may lead to additional costs. (SASSA Services Portal) SAPS also notes that 10111 is free from a landline, while service providers charge for calls made from a cellphone. (saps.gov.za) SARS says its *134*7277# USSD service is free of charge and does not require a smartphone or internet connectivity. (South African Revenue Service)
Last-verified notes
Last checked: 26 June 2026.
The numbers and routes above were checked against official or government-owned sources, including SASSA, the Department of Employment and Labour, SARS, Home Affairs, SAPS, and gov.za.
Before publishing or updating this page, re-check any:
- phone number
- USSD code
- WhatsApp number
- SMS short code
- email address
- call-centre hours
- toll-free claim
- fee or airtime note
- eligibility rule
- application process
- banking-detail update route
- complaint or escalation process
Safety checklist for South African government service numbers
Never share:
- your banking PIN
- your card PIN
- an OTP
- your eFiling password
- your full card number, expiry date, and CVV
- your ID document through an unverified WhatsApp number
- your grant, UIF, tax, or Home Affairs login details with someone who contacted you first
Be extra careful if a message says your grant, refund, UIF payment, or ID application will be cancelled unless you act immediately. Scammers often use urgency to pressure people into clicking fake links or sharing private details.
Related USSD Guides
Use these related guides when you need a more specific next step:
- public service USSD codes
- SASSA contact number
- UIF contact number
- Home Affairs contact number
- report fake SASSA website
FAQ
What is the code for South African government service numbers?
There is no single verified code for all South African government service numbers. Some services have task-specific contact routes or USSD options. For example, SARS lists *134*7277# for selected personal income tax services, but this is not a general government code for all departments. (South African Revenue Service)
Is there a verified USSD option for South African government service numbers?
There are verified USSD options for some public-service tasks, but not for every government service. Use public service USSD codes for the USSD directory, and confirm the latest code on the official department or public-entity website before entering personal details.
Does this USSD code need airtime or data?
It depends on the specific service. SARS says its *134*7277# USSD service is free of charge and does not need a smartphone or internet connection. (South African Revenue Service) Do not assume that every government-related USSD code or helpline is free, especially when calling from a cellphone.
What should I do if the code does not work?
Check that you entered the code exactly, that your phone has signal, and that the service is still listed by the official provider. If the code still fails, stop retrying and use the relevant contact route instead, such as SASSA contact number, UIF contact number, or Home Affairs contact number.
What information should users never share when checking South African government service numbers?
Do not share PINs, OTPs, passwords, card details, CVV numbers, or copies of ID documents through unsafe links, unknown WhatsApp numbers, or social-media inboxes. If someone contacts you first and asks for private information, verify the request through the official department route before responding.
What are the safer alternatives if USSD is unavailable?
Use the official call centre, official website, branch appointment route, or department-specific support page. For unresolved government-service complaints, gov.za says the Presidential Hotline on 17737 should be used after attempts to get help from the relevant department, province, municipality, or state agency have failed. (Government of South Africa)
How can users tell whether a South African government service message is fake?
A message may be fake if it asks for your OTP, PIN, password, card details, or ID document through an unknown link or WhatsApp number. It is also suspicious if it promises faster grant approval, a guaranteed refund, or urgent payment release in exchange for a fee. When in doubt, use report fake SASSA website and confirm the latest details through the official department.
Where should users confirm the latest public-service details?
Confirm the latest details on the official department or government website before using a number, code, menu path, email address, WhatsApp number, or payment route. Contact numbers and call-centre hours can change, so each important detail should be checked again before publishing or sharing.
