Social grant beneficiaries now have until April 30, 2025, to replace their South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold cards with the new Postbank black cards, following an announcement by Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, on Thursday.
The extension grants an additional month to the 800,000 beneficiaries who have yet to complete the transition. "This extension allows SASSA and the Department of Social Development to finalize the migration for the remaining beneficiaries," Ntshavheni explained.
Postbank has met eight out of nine requirements set by the South African Reserve Bank for paying social grants. The final requirement involves the physical replacement of the cards, with the original deadline for replacement, set for the previous Thursday, having been extended from February 28.
Beneficiaries who have not swapped their cards can visit Post Offices, local retailers, or SASSA offices to complete the process. Those who do not replace their cards will still receive their social grants, but they will need to collect them from SASSA offices in person.
As of Monday, Postbank reported that nearly 1.4 million beneficiaries out of 2.8 million have already swapped their old gold cards for the new black ones. Beneficiaries can also visit participating stores such as Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, and Boxer for card replacements.
Postbank spokesperson Bongani Diako confirmed that those who haven't collected their new cards will still be able to access their grants by presenting their IDs at any Post Office branch nationwide.