01 September 2026
The ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies welcomes the position by Postbank on the migration of social grant beneficiaries from SASSA gold cards to black cards and supports the approach the bank has taken for the 31 August 2026 deadline.
Postbank reports that more than 80% of the targeted migrations have been completed and that more than 1,8 million beneficiaries now hold black cards. That progress rests on an operational decision where card replacement sites have been placed inside the retail stores where beneficiaries already shop. For a beneficiary in a rural area that decision is vital to ensure their switch.
Postbank has confirmed that social grant payments will continue for beneficiaries who do not migrate by 31 August, that their accounts will remain active after that date, and that card replacement sites will stay open to assist those who still need to migrate.
A beneficiary needs only a valid identity document or temporary identity document, may collect a card in any province irrespective of where the grant was approved, and will find any balance on the gold card reflected on the new card, which works on issue without a visit to a SASSA office. A site can be located by dialling *120*355# from any cell phone, and Postbank can be reached on 0800 5354 55. Anyone who demands payment, or the surrender of an identity document or a card, in return for assistance with this process is acting unlawfully and should be reported.
The Study Group draws attention to where the remaining work lies. Postbank reports that beneficiaries receiving the child support grant make up as much as 90% of those who have not yet migrated, and that the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gautengwere slower to convert before volumes rose last week. The residual group is therefore not a random remainder. It primarily impacts busy young caregivers with high mobility and severe time constraints.
We request that Postbank and SASSA target their remaining outreach directly to this group through high-impact channels—such as clinics, schools, early childhood development centers, community radio, and mobile messaging—rather than relying on broad general advertising.
The Study Group will accordingly ask the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies to request a report from Postbank after 31 August, setting out the final migration figures, the number of beneficiaries still outstanding separated by grant type and province, the footprint of replacement sites retained after the deadline, and any payment disruption recorded. Support must be given to Postbank to ensure that the benefits of the transition of cards it is currently undertaking reaches its intended targets without causing any form of prejudice or creating systems of exclusion.
This exercise is led by a state-owned bank to support beneficiaries long overlooked by the commercial sector. When a public institution executes a large-scale operation with proper planning and adequate resourcing, its success deserves the same level of attention as its failures.
The Study Group commends the management and staff of Postbank, and in particular the staff at the replacement sites who are working the extended hours and urges every beneficiary who has not yet migrated to do so in the days that remain.
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS
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