SASSA beneficiaries still using the old Gold Card have until Monday, August 31, to switch to the new Postbank Black Card.
SASSA has confirmed that this is the final deadline, after which beneficiaries who have not switched could lose access to their grants.
The change follows the rollout of a new WhatsApp self-service channel, part of a broader effort to modernise grant services.
How many beneficiaries still need to switch
SASSA says around 15,000 grants still need to be migrated as of Monday, down from roughly 80,000 Gold Card holders reported earlier in the week.
More than 1.8 million beneficiaries have already completed the switch.
Postbank has warned that anyone who misses the Gold Card deadline will be unable to access their grants after their scheduled payment dates.
The change applies only to beneficiaries who collect payments via card. Those who receive grants directly into bank accounts are not affected.
Where the Gold Card holdouts are concentrated
Postbank data shows the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, along with parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, have the highest numbers of beneficiaries yet to switch.
Notably, child support grant recipients — typically young mothers — make up around 90% of those still outstanding.
Postbank’s Thami Cele linked the pattern to mobility and access challenges among this group.
What government and Parliament are saying
Portfolio Committee on Social Development chairperson Bridget Masango said the committee had pushed for retail sites to be properly stocked ahead of the deadline:
“The deadline that was always coming is now looming. It is on Monday. That’s when we thought, let us just make a call to Postbank to say, please make sure that the sites where these cards can be swapped have stock so that no one person is left behind in the swapping of the card. That is what triggered this discussion that we are having.”
Masango said the committee’s intervention followed concerns about what beneficiaries were experiencing at swap sites.
Because on the ground, whilst all the communication has been done, whilst everything about the swapping of the cards has been known to the beneficiaries, it is in the actual action, you know, the swapping of the cards where there’s been confusion.”
Government’s message remains direct: “Don’t wait until the last day — replace your Gold Card today.”
The new cards are issued free of charge at retail partners including Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite and select Spar stores. Beneficiaries can complete the switch over the weekend.
Recipients flagged for grant reviews shouldn’t panic. The Gold Card switch and grant review process are separate.
For more SASSA payment and grant updates, visit NOWinSA’s SASSA resource Centre.
Where to get official help: Toll-free Call Centre: 0800 60 10 11 | sassa.gov.za | srd.sassa.gov.za.
