SASSA and Postbank are appealing to social grant beneficiaries to replace their SASSA Gold Cards with the new Postbank Black Cards by Friday February 28

Beneficiaries that fail to get Postbank Black Cards before the deadline will not be able to access their SASSA grant payments with the SASSA Gold Cards.

After this deadline, Gold Cards will not function to withdraw cash from all ATMs and retailers, and they will also not be allowed for transactions such balance enquiries, printing of statements or retail purchases as they will be blocked, said Nikki Mbengashe, Postbank CEO

“Postbank started replacing SASSA Gold Cards with the new Postbank Black Cards in September 2024. Hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries have already changed their cards and are accessing their grants using the Postbank Black Cards. Other beneficiaries are encouraged to collect their new Postbank Black Cards, as after this deadline, the SASSA Gold Cards will no longer be valid for any transactions,” she said.

“Please go to your nearest Postbank site, which is mainly located at one of the retailers near you that include Checkers, Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Usave and Boxer, and get your Postbank Black Card to continue transacting.” said Ms Mbengashe.

To get the new Postbank Black Cards, beneficiaries are only required to have a valid South African ID or a temporary ID. No card will be issued without these documents. Getting the new Postbank Black Card is also free of charge for all beneficiaries.

“The new Postbank Black Cards works on all the National Payment System channels that include ATMs, retailer’s point-of-sale machines and any place that accepts a bank card immediately after being issued to a beneficiary, so there is no waiting period for when they can be used for transactions. The new cards also have updated safety and card features,” said Ms Mbengashe.

Social grant beneficiaries will continue enjoying the same benefits that they were getting from the Gold Cards when switching to the new Postbank Black Cards and these include:

One free card replacement per year

Three free withdrawals in stores per month

One free monthly statement over the counter

SASSA and Postbank assure grant beneficiaries and the public that there will not be any interruptions in the payments of social grants, said Themba Matlou, SASSA Acting CEO.

“Our appeal to social grant beneficiaries is that they should not wait for the last minute, or for when their cards stop working. They must get their Postbank Black Cards now at their nearby card replacement site as that will guarantee that they continue receiving their payments,” said Mr Matlou.

Beneficiaries are advised to always be wary of criminal elements that often capitalise on busy cycles of economic activity to perpetrate scams.

Mr Matlou urged people to be extra careful with their Identity Document’s and always ensure that the person whom they hand their ID to is an authorised official.

They must always keep their cards safely in their purses and wallets when not using them. Beneficiaries are also advised to be careful not to accept cards that look like Postbank Black Cards that are issued by other people and institutions under false pretenses.

For more information contact Postbank on 0800 53 54 55 or SASSA on 0800 60 10 11.

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