By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Postbank CEO Nikki Mbangashe says the deadline had been extended again to May 31, to further assist beneficiaries who had not yet switched to Black Cards.
The gold card was meant to expire on 31 December 2023. However, this date has been postponed several times.
Postbank has said that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) had allowed for “the continued use of the SASSA gold card until all the cards have been successfully replaced, while it sorted out compliance issues.
Postbank previously urged recipients to replace their gold cards at the end of February but postponed the deadline to March after recipients complained about the lack of availability of sites in areas including the Western Cape.
Card uptake in the Western Cape has also been slow compared to other provinces, reaching only 39% this month. In comparison, provinces like Gauteng have managed to have 59% of Postbank clients access the new black card.
On Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that the deadline had been extended to 30 April.
Mbangashe apologised during the briefing for the confusion. “People have the whole of April and May. The card will continue working up until the last day of May,” she said.
Importantly, the CEO said that alternative payment methods, including cash withdrawals from the South African Post Office (SAPO) and cardless withdrawals, are no longer available to recipients.
SASSA’s acting CEO, Themba Matlou, welcomed the decision to extend the validity of the Gold Card but urged beneficiaries not to delay in switching to the Postbank Black Card.
“We humbly plea to our beneficiaries to use this opportunity and not wait for the last hour as this will further inconvenience them. From the onset, we listened to the cries of our beneficiaries and understood their frustration. This should not make you relax; this should make you to wake up tomorrow, with less pressure, and change your card,” Matlou said.
Mbangashe reassured beneficiaries that the Gold Card would function as usual until the new deadline. However, she stressed that cardholders should not go to Post Offices for grant payments unless they are asylum seekers, Mzansi Flexi Card users, or have lost their cards.
Mbangashe said Postbank has over 300 card replacement sites nationwide. To switch, beneficiaries will need their ID or temporary ID document and must go to their nearest site. Mbangashe said they are still working with selected retailers including Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick ‘n Pay, Boxer and Spar. Beneficiaries can dial *120*355# on their cell phone to find a nearby card replacement site.