THE Ministers of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, and Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, recently announced that the deadline for beneficiaries to swap their gold SASSA card for the black Postbank card has been extended from February 28, to March 20.
In a statement, the departments said they have listened to the deep concerns and frustrations of social grant beneficiaries, and trust that this extension will provide much-needed time for grant recipients.
“We strongly encourage our beneficiaries to make sure that they change to the black Postbank card as soon as they can, and well ahead of the March 20 deadline.
“We would like to emphasise that grant payments will continue as usual, even after the March 20 deadline. If beneficiaries haven’t exchanged their cards by then, their grants will still be paid, but they will need to visit their nearest Post Office branch to access their funds.
“To ensure that we are able to assist beneficiaries to swap their cards as efficiently as possible, our departments and entities are working together to increase human capacity and are collaborating with retailers to expand the number of sites across the country,” the statement reported.
Mobile offices will also be dispatched to focus on rural areas and ensure that we assist as many people as possible.
The process will be closely monitored, and quick responses will be implemented for any issues that might occur.
Furthermore, the March 20 deadline marks the date when the SASSA Gold Cards will stop working, not the last day to apply for the new card.
Afterwards, beneficiaries will still be able to apply for and receive their Postbank Black Cards.
“We are also working with community leaders and local authorities to share clear information and offer assistance where needed.
“Ensuring that beneficiaries can swap their old gold SASSA cards as easily as possible is our priority, and we will update the public regularly,” the statement concluded.
