SASSA card swap deadline in doubt, says Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele
The deadline for swapping old gold SASSA cards for new Postbank black cards has been extended to March 20, 2025, but it remains uncertain whether the process will be completed on time.
Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, has admitted that meeting the deadline is unlikely, as millions of beneficiaries are still without the new cards.
Challenges in the SASSA Card Swap Process
The decision to extend the deadline was made after social grant beneficiaries raised concerns about the difficulties they faced during the swap process. Many recipients reported long queues, limited information, and issues with Postbank’s service delivery.
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Postbank and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) briefed the Western Cape Standing Committee on Social Development about the progress of the card swap.
The committee learned that, as of February 28, 2025, Postbank had only issued just over 880,000 new black cards—a small fraction of the total 2.8 million (2,851,000) beneficiaries.
This means that over 1.9 million SASSA recipients are still using the old gold cards, and time is running out to ensure that everyone is able to switch before the deadline.
Gungubele: Meeting the Deadline is “Clearly Impossible”
Deputy Minister Gungubele told the committee that, despite Postbank and SASSA working around the clock to issue new black cards, it is unlikely that all grant recipients will receive their cards before March 20.
“We are trying to move at a pace where all the beneficiaries get the black card, God helping us, by the end of March, which has become clearly impossible in our view. But we are doing our best so that by the end of March, a number of them would have got the black card,” he said.
Gungubele’s statement confirms the ongoing struggles with the rollout process, and many social grant recipients remain concerned about how they will access their funds if they do not receive a new card before the deadline.
Alternative Plans for Beneficiaries Without New Cards
Acknowledging the inevitable delays, Gungubele assured the committee that alternative plans have been put in place for those who won’t be able to swap their cards before the deadline.
“Alternative plans have been made, that between the end of March and June, the people who still have Gold cards they cannot use will still access the institution to get their money using a cardless system,” he explained.
This means that even if a beneficiary hasn’t received their new black card, they will still be able to withdraw their social grants using alternative methods at Postbank service points.
Concerns Over Delays and Accessibility
Despite these reassurances, many social grant recipients remain worried about their ability to receive their money on time.
The delays in issuing new Postbank black cards have sparked frustration, especially for elderly and disabled beneficiaries who struggle to travel long distances to swap their cards.
Postbank and SASSA have been urged to improve communication, ensuring that grant recipients are fully aware of the steps they need to take to access their payments if they have not yet received their black card.
Government Under Pressure to Resolve Issues
The SASSA card swap has been a major challenge for the government, and the failure to meet the deadline could impact millions of South Africans who rely on social grants for survival.
With just weeks remaining before the March 20 deadline, all eyes are on Postbank and SASSA to see how they will speed up the rollout process and ensure beneficiaries do not suffer due to administrative delays.
For now, those who haven’t received their black cards should keep an eye on official announcements from Postbank and SASSA regarding alternative payment methods.
