SASSA and Postbank have confirmed that all SASSA gold cards must be replaced by 28 February 2025.
SASSA gold cards must be replaced by end February 2025
Social grant beneficiaries are urged to switch to the new Postbank black cards before the deadline to avoid disruptions in receiving their grants.
According to Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe, failure to replace the gold cards by the end of February will result in beneficiaries being unable to access their SASSA grant payments.
The last round of payments using SASSA gold cards took place this week, meaning that all future payments will require the new black card.
Beneficiaries can collect their new Postbank black cards at designated Postbank sites, primarily located in major retailers like Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Boxer, and Pick n Pay in Gauteng.
The replacement process is free of charge and only requires a valid South African ID or temporary ID.
What will happen if the gold cards are not replaced by the deadline?
From 1 March 2025, SASSA gold cards will no longer work for any transactions, including:
- • Withdrawing cash from ATMs and retailers
- Checking balances
- Printing bank statements
- Making retail purchases
Even if a gold card’s expiry date extends beyond February 2025, it will still be deactivated and blocked from use.
Beneficiaries who have not switched to the Postbank black card by the deadline will be unable to receive or access their grant payments.
SASSA and Postbank have warned beneficiaries not to wait until the last minute and to replace their cards as soon as possible to avoid disruptions.
What you must know about the Postbank black cards
The Postbank black card is designed to replace the SASSA gold card while maintaining the same benefits. It works on all national payment system channels, including:
- ATMs
- Retailer point-of-sale machines
- Any merchant that accepts bank cards
There is no waiting period for activation—once issued, the card is immediately functional. Beneficiaries will also continue to receive the same benefits as before, including:
- One free card replacement per year
- Three free withdrawals in-store per month
- One free monthly bank statement over the counter
For convenience, beneficiaries can check the nearest Postbank black card collection point by dialling *120*2183#* and following the prompts.
SASSA and Postbank have also cautioned beneficiaries to be wary of scams, advising them to only hand over their ID documents to authorised officials and to reject counterfeit cards from unauthorised sources.
