Frantic efforts to migrate Sassa recipients to new cards before 20 March deadline

18 Mar 2025

With the deadline fast approaching for the migration of Sassa cards, it is all systems go to help grant recipients.

‘This is where the panic buttons must be pressed,” said Memory Booysen, a member of the Western Cape legislature on Tuesday, 18 March during a briefing about this week’s deadline for social grant recipients to migrate to the new black cards.

On Thursday, 20 March, gold cards from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), which are used to withdraw grants, will no longer be in use following the card migration process. As Sassa acting regional executive manager Sibusiso Nhlangothi said, this effectively means, “If you are holding a gold card, it’s a dummy.”

After 20 March, recipients who have not migrated to the new cards cannot access their social grants. However, they can continue to collect their grants at post offices.

This week marks the end of a migration process which has left recipients frustrated. Long queues and understaffing have plagued assistance centres across the country, even after the initial February deadline was extended.

Read more: Confusion, long queues and technical problems mar switch to new Sassa card

Clarity needed

In a briefing before the Western Cape legislature’s standing committee on social development, Booysen said there had to be more communication on where beneficiaries could access their grants, what would happen after the 20 March deadline and what would happen when grant recipients tried to access their grants during the next payment cycle scheduled for 3-5 April.

Booysen said communication had to be clear for beneficiaries who had missed the deadline and wanted to collect their grant at post offices.

Beneficiaries would need to know which post office sites they could visit to withdraw their grants – otherwise, they would spend money travelling to sites that did not process grant payments or were closed.

Nhlangothi said communication about sites where post office withdrawals could be made would become a priority.

In the Western Cape, 174,473 beneficiaries still need to be migrated, confirmed Nhlangothi. Nationally, this figure stood at more than 1.5 million, as reported by EWN.

Nationally, about a million Sassa beneficiaries had migrated to the new cards, said Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe at a briefing on Monday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPBZHfTRC0&ab_channel=GovernmentZA

Postbank was not at Tuesday’s meeting in the Western Cape. Committee chairperson Wendy Kaizer-Philander said this was due to the agency informing them that Postbank was busy with planned outreaches and project milestones for the 20 March deadline.

Nhlangothi said that now it was about killing “many birds with one stone” through verifying beneficiaries. Nhlangothi said 70% of Sassa staff was working to process and verify beneficiaries.

Overtime, he said, had also been approved. Sassa offices had extended their hours including opening on Saturdays until 1pm.

Read more: 20 March deadline for Sassa card migration nearly impossible, says deputy minister

Nationally, Postbank has 2,851,898 customers who make use of its banking services to receive their grants. Social grant recipients can also make use of other banking institutions or withdraw their grants from the post office.

Why the switch?

The new cards have the same advantages as the old gold cards. This means free first-card replacements, no random deductions and three free in-store withdrawals/purchases.

Read more: Explainer: Essential guide for Sassa card holders before deadline

In addition, the new cards come with enhanced security features – biometric authentication and improved encryption.

As far back as October 2024, GroundUp reported there were concerns from MPs about the card migration process.

After Monday’s Sassa and Postbank briefing, human rights organisation Black Sash said, “It is critical that beneficiaries understand the entire process — from card replacement to how they can access their funds after the gold cards are deactivated.”

Black Sash said: “While we appreciate the measures in place to safeguard grant payments, we remain deeply concerned about beneficiaries who may be misled by opportunistic individuals attempting to trick them into changing their banking arrangements.

“It is reassuring that Postbank and Sassa have assured beneficiaries that any remaining funds in Sassa gold cards will be safely stored in their Postbank accounts and will be accessible through other withdrawal methods, such as post offices or retailer cardless payments.

“However, the nationwide closure of post offices has created significant barriers to grant access, particularly for the over one million beneficiaries who may now rely on these locations for withdrawals after the 20 March 2025 deadline.

“With fewer operational post offices, many beneficiaries face longer travel distances, higher transport costs, and overcrowding at remaining branches, making it even harder to access their grants.”

Postbank will continue issuing black cards after the 20 March deadline. Grant recipients can apply to change their cards at hundreds of retailers across the country. They can dial *120*355# to find their closest site. DM

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Clarity needed

Why the switch?