As the final deadline approaches for South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries to exchange their gold cards for the new black Postbank cards, both SASSA and Postbank are working urgently to complete the migration of 2.6 million beneficiaries.
The card replacement process began in September 2024, following a directive from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) after a security breach affected the old SASSA gold cards. In response, Postbank and SASSA have hosted several public briefings to keep beneficiaries informed.
Initially set for 28 February, the deadline was extended to 20 March after a surge in applications overwhelmed Postbank centres. In a last-minute effort, Postbank has expanded its service capacity by deploying staff to selected retail stores and increasing the number of service points.
SASSA has also stepped in to support the process. Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe confirmed earlier this week that over one million beneficiaries have already been issued with the new black cards, with an average of 200 registrations taking place daily.
Mbengashe clarified that while the SASSA gold card will stop working after the deadline, beneficiaries can still receive their new cards beyond that date. Those who haven’t yet received their black cards will still be able to access their grants at Post Office branches using their ID.
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