<P> The first Department was established in 1937, to regulate and subsidise existing private, non-governmental welfare services, while providing some additional services . The 1997 White Paper for Social Welfare noted that post-Apartheid South Africa had inherited social welfare programmes which were "not considered to be critical social investment priorities and were under - resourced". </P> <P> The Department "endeavours to create a better life for the poor, vulnerable and excluded people in society". It is tasked with reducing poverty, promoting social integration, and creating conditions for sustainable livelihoods . The Department also conducts research that develops the social indicators necessary for programme implementation and public accountability . </P> <P> The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is a national agency of the government created in April 2005 in order to distribute social grants on behalf of the Department of Social Development . The DSD has an oversight role over the Agency but no operational control over it . It was also designed to reallocate the function of social security from South Africa's provinces to the national sphere of government and reports to the Department of Social Development (DSD). Its current chief executive officer is Virginia Peterson . SASSA is a public entity in terms of Schedule 3A of the Public Finance Management Act . </P> <P> The key functions of the parastatal are related to the administration and payment of social grants: the processing of applications, verification and approval of applications, disbursement and payment of grants to eligible beneficiaries, quality assurance, and fraud prevention and detection . </P>

When did social grant started in south africa