Samro Retirement Annuity Fund Processes Two-Pot Withdrawals But Member Contact Gaps Persist

Established in 1969, the Samro Retirement Annuity Fund remains one of the longest-standing retirement benefit funds serving South Africa's music creators. The Fund currently supports more than 12,300 qualifying Samro Associate and Full members and manages assets exceeding R490m.Since the introduction of the Two-Pot Retirement System on 1 September 2024, SRAF has successfully processed and paid 275 savings withdrawal claims, releasing more than R2.4m directly to members who required access to their retirement savings.

Despite this progress, SRAF has identified significant gaps in member information that may prevent members from accessing important retirement communications and benefits.

Current records indicate that while 9,953 members have email addresses on file, 2,347 members have no email address recorded. In addition, only 5,240 members have valid contact numbers on record, leaving more than 7,000 members potentially difficult to reach. The Fund has also identified substantial gaps in tax information, which is required for the efficient processing of certain retirement transactions.

In February 2026, SRAF distributed benefit statements to members via email. Of the statements sent, more than 2,000 could not be successfully delivered due to invalid, outdated, or inactive email addresses. This means that thousands of members may not be receiving important information relating to their retirement benefits and savings.

"We want every qualifying member to have access to their retirement information and benefits," said Nobambo Goduka, General Manager: Member Services at Samro.

"The challenge we face is that many members have changed their contact details over the years without updating their records. We are encouraging all members to verify and update their information to ensure they can access their benefits when needed."

Members are encouraged to review and update their personal information, including their contact details, banking information, tax numbers, and beneficiary information, to ensure seamless access to retirement benefits and future Two-Pot withdrawals.

The Fund continues to provide retirement, death, and ill-health benefits to qualifying members while supporting long-term financial security within South Africa's creative community.

For assistance with updating personal details or obtaining information regarding SRAF benefits, members may contact Samro Member Services.