In response to a written question in parliament, the department said that more than 10 000 business applications were approved in this province. The companies applied on behalf of more than 89 000 employees.

This is the highest number of approved applications in Central South Africa, followed by North West where R390 million, and the Northern Cape where R139 million will be distributed from the aid fund. The Western Cape has the most successful applications countrywide, with 37 000 approved worth R2 billion.
 
However, thousands of Free State workers who applied for the Covid-19 relief fund had to hear that their applications were rejected by the Department of Labour. The department says more than 3 000 Free State employers - who applied for about 19 000 workers - were unsuccessful. The applications were worth R79 million. The department says many of the applications were unsuccessful because the employer or their employees could not be found on the Unemployment Insurance Fund's database.

The department has, however, indicated that employees who are overdue with payments from contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund can bring it up to date with a once-off payment or by entering into a payment agreement. A total of 1 144 applications worth R23 million were rejected in the Northern Cape, and just over 2 500 applications worth R64 million were rejected in the North West.

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