'No one will be left without their grant': Sassa and Postbank on migration to new black cards

Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe has assured Sassa beneficiaries that no one will be left without their grant if they don't have a black card.

Amid the looming deadline for social grant beneficiaries to replace their Sassa gold cards, Sassa and Postbank gave an update on Monday about the progress of the process.

Mbengashe said by March 10 they had successfully switched more than 1-million social grant beneficiaries from the Sassa gold card to Postbank black cards.

She said the Sassa gold cards would no longer be effective from March 20.

“We are pleading with all beneficiaries to please not attempt to use this card post March 20 to access their grant. Your account number does not change. Your grant will still go into your bank account, but the ability to access this bank account with a yellow card will cease from March 20. However, March 20 does not mean we are stopping the issuing of cards. Postbank will continue to issue cards even after March 20. We will continue to increase the number of sites we have nationally,” she said.

Mbengashe said Postbank had more than 320 sites countrywide.

Those unable to get the card by the end of March, could receive their grant over the counter at their nearest post office, but would need to produce their ID, Mbengashe said.

“You need nothing else to come and do this, and therefore no one will be left without their grant if you don't have the black card. Your bank account does not change, your money still goes into your account,” she said.

She said they were also working on providing the migration service to those who were bedridden.

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