JOHANNESBURG - More than 1.8 million social grant beneficiaries have switched from the SASSA Gold Card to the Postbank Black Card since the migration process began.
With the 31 August deadline now passed, Postbank says the majority of beneficiaries made the switch with minimal challenges.
Postbank Chief Commercial Officer Thami Cele says the migration was largely smooth.
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“Postbank’s card replacement sites are conveniently located in places where beneficiaries regularly shop and are familiar with,” says Cele.
“This made it easier for beneficiaries, including those living in rural areas, to access card migration services as part of their normal shopping routines,” he said.
Mobile teams were also deployed to assist people living in remote areas and those physically unable to access card replacement sites.
Despite these efforts and public awareness campaigns, thousands of beneficiaries had still not migrated by the deadline.
KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of outstanding beneficiaries, at more than 16,000.
It was followed by the Eastern Cape, with more than 10,000, the Western Cape, with more than 9,000, and Gauteng, with about 6,000.
“Postbank has made arrangements to ensure that grant payments will still continue for people who have missed the deadline,” says Cele.
“Our sole intention as a state-owned bank is to ensure that no beneficiary experiences payment interruptions, as we know social grants are a source of livelihood for many households,” he said.
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Cele says beneficiary accounts will remain active, and card replacement services will remain available.
Those who missed the deadline will, however, first have to complete the migration process to access their payments using their new cards. The cards are activated immediately, and all funds become accessible once the process is complete.
People who have their social grants paid into their debit cards will not be affected by the migration, says Cele.