Sassa gold cards to stop working: Grant beneficiaries urged to switch before August deadline

NATIONAL NEWS - Social grant beneficiaries still using Sassa gold cards are being encouraged to migrate to the new Postbank black cards as soon as possible.

Postbank said the July social grant payment cycle would be the final opportunity for beneficiaries to use their gold cards before they are permanently phased out.

The cards will no longer be accepted for transactions after 30 August.

The bank warned that beneficiaries who fail to replace their cards before the deadline may be unable to access their grant payments.

“Failure to do so will result in beneficiaries being unable to access their payments with their Sassa gold cards, as the cards have expired and will no longer be accepted in the payments system,” Postbank said.

Postbank warns against delays and last-minute rush

Postbank chief commercial officer Thami Cele urged grant recipients who have not yet made the switch to use the July payment period to complete the migration process.

“We appeal to every grant beneficiary who has not yet migrated to the new black cards to use the July payment period to replace their Sassa gold cards,” Cele said.

He stressed that replacing the cards is necessary to ensure uninterrupted access to social grant payments.

“The replacement of the cards is essential to ensure uninterrupted access to payments, and we encourage all affected grant beneficiaries to act now and avoid unnecessary inconvenience.”

Postbank began replacing Sassa gold cards with black cards in April 2026 but said the uptake among beneficiaries has remained below expectations.

The bank warned that waiting until the final weeks before the deadline could lead to lengthy queues and delays.

Saturday collections introduced to ease pressure

In an effort to speed up the migration process, Postbank has extended operating days at several replacement sites to include Saturdays.

Beneficiaries whose gold cards have been lost, stolen or are no longer functioning have also been advised not to delay replacing them.

Where beneficiaries can collect new Postbank black cards

The new black cards can be collected at Postbank service points located in selected:

Shoprite
Checkers
Usave
Pick n Pay
Boxer
Spar stores

Beneficiaries can dial 120355# from any cellphone to find the nearest collection point.

Customers are required to bring a valid South African ID or temporary ID when collecting their cards. Postbank said beneficiaries can collect cards in any province, regardless of where their Sassa grant was approved.