Over one million black cards issued - Postbank

This amounted to 46% of the total number of beneficiaries, with some 1.5 million people needing to migrate to the black cards.

"We're very excited to share that we have actually reached the one million point in terms of the SASSA beneficiaries that we have swapped cards to,” Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe announced on Monday. 

"We are currently sitting at 1.1 million beneficiaries and therefore we would like to first and foremost thank every beneficiary that has come forward to swap their card, as much as the project started in September last year, we know that the numbers started to come through this year, so we're very excited that we've reached this milestone.

Mbengashe made the announcement whilst briefing the media on the progress of the replacements of the SASSA gold cards on Monday.

The Social Development Department is phasing out the gold cards for improved security and faster access to grant payments.

She warned that after Wednesday, the SASSA gold cards would no longer work.

"We are pleading with all beneficiaries to please not attempt to use this card post the 20th of March 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 not cease as of the 20th of March. However the 20th of March does not mean we are stopping to issue cards."

Mbengashe said Postbank will continue to issue the black cards after the Wednesday deadline.

"We will continue to issue cards even post the 20th of March, in fact even at the end of March, into April, we'll continue to issue cards. We’ll continue to increase the number of sites that we have nationally.

"Currently, we're sitting at over 320 sites nationally. We’ll continue to add sites every day and, therefore, we're pleading with beneficiaries to not stop coming through to come and get their card from the 20th, and we will be continuing with the issue of cards into April and beyond that.

"We have worked very tirelessly to ensure that no beneficiary is left without access to their grant as such we've worked with SAPO (South African Post Office). SAPO has over 500 branches nationally that will help us to ensure that beneficiaries can go to the nearest post office to access their grant over the counter.

"This process is easy. All you need to access your grant over the counter is your ID document. You need nothing else to do this, and therefore, no one will be left without their grant if they don't have the black card. That's very important for us.

"If you should so happen that you don't use the Post Office, you delay that process because you want to still go get your black card. Remember your bank account does not change, which means, therefore, that your money still goes into your account.

"No one can take away your money, your grant. Your grant will go into a bank account. It doesn't matter whether you have a black card or you have a yellow card at the time, your money will go into your bank account.”

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