30 April 2026

The ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies notes the announcement by Postbank that, effective 1 May 2026, cash deposit and related banking services will no longer be available at South African Post Office (herein, SAPO) branches for its customers, with the exception of SASSA Beneficiaries.

Postbank customers will instead be directed to alternative banking channels established by Postbank as accredited partners. We commend Postbank’s extensive reach and the expanded network that has the potential to bring banking services closer to communities. However, the Study Group is of the view that this decision warrants parliamentary examination and strategic analysis to ensure that the reorientation is in the public interest. SAPO maintains one of the most extensive branch networks in the country. The implications of withdrawing Postbank services from this footprint must be carefully examined.

We also note that security concerns have been cited as a contributing factor in this decision. Parliament has a duty to satisfy itself that the transition is informed by a comprehensive risk assessment and a commitment to maintaining service accessibility.

The Study Group acknowledges that Postbank has recently obtained its Financial Service Provider licence and is in the process of securing a full commercial banking licence. As Postbank evolves into a fully-fledged state-owned commercial bank, every operational decision must be guided by the imperative of universal access and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Central to this reconfiguration, we welcome the assurance that it will not, in any manner, affect the payment or management of social grants for SASSA Beneficiaries. The uninterrupted delivery of social grants remains a core function in building a capable, ethical developmental state, a position that the ANC will not retreat from.

Issued by the Whip of the ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies, Cde I Subrathie.

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