There is no truth to the rumour that retirement age is changing

The Treasury has dismissed claims contained in an article doing the WhatsApp rounds.

- By Yeshiel Panchia

South Africa's retirement age has not been changed. Some online articles, including one published on Zerode.co.za, have said South Africa is implementing sweeping pension reforms - most notably a uniform retirement age of 65 for all citizens regardless of gender or employment sector, and effective from 30 May.

This article gained traction through WhatsApp forwards and Facebook reposts, and further asserted that the government had confirmed new phased retirement options and older workers would be able to draw partial pensions while continuing in part-time employment.

None of this is supported by any gazetted legislation, parliamentary record or regulatory announcement.

What the Treasury says

In response to detailed questions from Daily Maverick, the National Treasury dismissed the claims.