Al-Qalam 
By Al-Qalam Reporter
In a groundbreaking move to ease financial barriers for future pilgrims, the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) has announced that South African parents can now register their children for Hajj from birth.
This new initiative is aimed at helping families plan ahead for the pilgrimage and ensure that they are financially prepared when the time comes for their children to perform Hajj.
“There is great importance in planning early for the pilgrimage. Many South Africans struggle to save enough money to undertake Hajj due to poor financial planning. They don’t have the financial capability to go for Hajj because of this, so we have decided to allow people to be registered from birth,” said President of SAHUC, Moaaz Casoo.
He said just like people take out educational policies for their children, we need to look at the future of our country and the future of the Ummah, and allow parents to start saving for their children’s Hajj too.
Casoo said some families faced great financial burdens when the time to perform Hajj arrived, often selling possessions, or even leaving jobs to cash out their pensions so they could afford the journey.
“The new initiative aims to help families avoid such drastic measures by encouraging early savings. We want people to start thinking about opening up Hajj savings accounts, policy accounts, and investment accounts to allow you ample time to put money towards your Hajj. Rather than waiting until you get married or when you decide to change your life, start saving towards your Hajj now,” said Casoo.
This new system is already being implemented, with plans to work alongside investment companies to inform the public about the various savings and investment opportunities available for those looking to prepare for Hajj in the future. Casoo said in addition to financial preparedness, the new system will address an issue many families face.
“One of the issues is the inability to take their children for Hajj with them, due to late registration. Traditionally, families have struggled to take their children along for the pilgrimage because they were not registered early enough, thus preventing the children from being moved up in the queue when the parents are accredited. By allowing parents to register their children from birth, families will now be able to register together and go on Hajj as a unit when the time comes,” Casoo said. He said the initiative also draws comparisons to practices in other countries, particularly Malaysia, where citizens can register for Hajj from birth.
However, Casoo said the waiting period in Malaysia is significantly longer due to the large Muslim population there. “In South Africa, the current waiting period for Hajj is estimated to be between eight to ten years, with the possibility of it becoming even longer in the future. If it gets worse, the waiting period will get longer. We want to give people ample time to start saving and start planning, just like we look towards saving for our children’s education, we need to do the same for Hajj,” said Casoo.
Casoo said the initiative was important for the broader Muslim community in South Africa, urging families to take proactive steps for their children’s Hajj and to think of it like any other long-term financial goal.
As the 2025 Hajj season approaches, Casoo said SAHUC is working tirelessly to ensure that everything is in place for a smooth and efficient pilgrimage for South African Muslims.
Casoo confirmed that this year’s quota for South African pilgrims was set at 2,500, with the quota filled as early as January.
He said while cancellations are expected, these spots are typically filled within a day or two. “This year, SAHUC has faced some challenges due to changes in the booking system for Hajj. The Ministry has introduced a new online system, the Nusuk Masar system, which handles all financial transactions for housing, transport, catering, and other services related to the pilgrimage,” said Casoo.
He said while this system has caused delays for travel agents, he expressed confidence that progress is being made. “It’s taking our agents a longer amount of time to use this system compared to previous years, but Alhamdulilah, we are making good progress,” he said.
The first deadline for this year’s Hajj preparations has been successfully met, and SAHUC is approaching the second deadline, which falls on 25 March. “Insha’Allah, we will be able to issue the first visas for Hajj once the second deadline is met,” Casoo said.
