Postbank has reassured South African grant beneficiaries that they will still receive their social grants even if they have not swapped their Sassa gold cards for the new black cards by the March 20 deadline. The bank outlined contingency measures to ensure uninterrupted grant payments, addressing concerns raised by beneficiaries who feared losing access to their funds.
Eurekha Singh, the bank’s Chief Operating Officer, clarified that beneficiaries who miss the deadline can visit any South African Post Office or use the cardless withdrawal process to collect their payments. The announcement came during a briefing to the social development portfolio committee in the Western Cape provincial legislature.
The transition from the gold cards to the new black cards has faced challenges, including long queues at retail locations and technical issues with the Home Affairs Department’s system, causing delays in card replacements. As of February 28, only 31% of the 3 million cards had been issued, with just 24% of cards distributed in the Western Cape.
Despite the setbacks, Postbank is working to increase the number of distribution points from 20 to over 40, as well as ramp up roving teams to reach outlying areas. In addition, the number of tellers at card replacement sites has been doubled to help address the backlog.
Minister Mondli Gungubele explained that the Sassa gold cards had been declared defective by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), limiting Postbank’s banking services. He emphasized that the goal is to fully transition to the black cards by the end of March, though it is now clear that this process will extend into June.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by Postbank in rolling out the new cards, Gungubele expressed confidence that most beneficiaries would receive their black cards within the next few months. However, he admitted that the replacement project could have been managed more efficiently.
Local leaders, including Wendy Kaizer-Philander and Jaco Londt, voiced concerns about the pace of the rollout, particularly in light of reports of staff being threatened or robbed at service points, which has led to some sites closing. They have requested that Postbank keep them informed about active sites and the schedule for roving teams.
Despite these challenges, Postbank remains committed to ensuring that all beneficiaries continue to receive their grants without disruption.
