The deadline for SASSA card transitions has been extended to March 20. Picture: STOCK IMAGES
The deadline for South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries to swop their SASSA Gold Card for the Postbank Black Card has been extended from February 28 to March 20.
This announcement was made on Friday February 14 by the Ministers of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, and Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, in a joint press release.
“We have listened to the deep concerns and frustrations from our social grant beneficiaries and we trust that this extension will provide much needed time for grant recipients,” Ministers Malatsi and Tolashe said.
“We strongly encourage our beneficiaries to make sure that they change to the Postbank Black Card as soon as they can, and well ahead of the March 20, 2025 deadline.”
They emphasised that grant payments will continue as per usual, even after the March 20, deadline. If beneficiaries have not 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 make sure that beneficiaries are assisted in swopping their cards as efficiently as possible, the two departments and entities are working together to add more human capacity. They are working with retailers to increase the number of sites across the country. Mobile offices will also be dispatched to rural areas to ensure as many people are assisted as possible.
“We will monitor the process closely and will receive daily updates as to how the process is going so that we are able to respond quickly to any further issues that may arise. 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 Ministers said.
The two departments are also working with community leaders and local authorities to share clear information and offer assistance where needed.
They said they will make sure that beneficiaries are able to swop their old gold SASSA cards as easily as possible.