10 November 2025
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES
PRESS RELEASE
NO EMBARGO
Al Jama-ah launches South African Muslims’ Population Census at an educational gathering in Johannesburg:
Al Jama-ah Party has launched the South African Muslims’ Population Census by registering its first batch, Hafiz (memorisation of the holy qur’an) students at the Saeed Foundation’s Jalsa (gathering) in Johannesburg on Saturday, 8 November 2025.
The launch of the census was spearheaded by Al Jama-ah’s President Hon Ganief Hendricks who is the Deputy Minister of Social Development and one of the top 10 leaders in the GNU (Government of National Unity).
The Saeed Foundation, an educational institute which consists of several satellite dawah centres accommodating about 2 500 students, will be the first to be counted in the state of the art Muslim census developed by the Ganief Hendricks Foundation N.P.C.
The census on the Muslim population in South Africa, will assist towards the annual increase in Hajj visas. Currently the Saudi Arabia Hajj Ministry only issues 1 125 hajj visas to South African Muslims; this is based on the incorrect data on Muslims provided by StatsSA.
“We will record the correct population of Muslims in South Africa to ensure 5000 hajj visas by 2027. Many Muslims save up for a decade and more to undertake this sacred pilgrimage but sadly, some die of a broken heart before they get a chance to receive a hajj visa,” explains Hendricks.
The census on the Muslim population and to record the hafiz students as the first count, has received the support of Sheikh Abdel Salaam, the founder of Saeed Foundation, who embraced Hendricks for taking up this noble task.
Issued by Asghar Khan on behalf of Al Jama-ah
For media enquiries contact:
Nisa Hendricks (Media and Marketing Manager)
Cell: 082 613 1917