The Ministers of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, and Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, have confirmed that the deadline for beneficiaries to swap their gold SASSA card for the black Postbank card has been extended from February 25 to March 20.
In a joint statement, the Department of Social Development and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies strongly encourage beneficiaries to ensure they change to the black Postbank card as soon as they can, well ahead of the March 20 deadline.
The statement read: “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 we assist beneficiaries in swapping their cards as efficiently as possible, our departments and entities are working together to add more human capacity and are collaborating with retailers to increase the number of sites across the country.”
The statement further highlighted that mobile offices will also be dispatched to focus on rural areas and ensure we assist as many people as possible.
“We will monitor the process closely and receive daily updates on its progress so that we can respond quickly to any further issues that may arise.
“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.
“After March 20, beneficiaries will still be able to apply for and receive their Postbank Black Cards,” the statement added.
“We are also working with community leaders and local authorities to share clear information and offer assistance where needed. Ensuring 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.
