Customers must bring a valid South African ID or temporary ID to collect their card.
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Social grant beneficiaries still using Sassa gold cards have been urged to switch to the new Postbank black cards before the end of August or risk losing access to their grant payments.
Postbank said the July social grant payment cycle would be the last opportunity for beneficiaries to use their Sassa gold cards before the cards are permanently phased out. The cards will no longer be accepted for transactions after 30 August 2026.
The bank warned that beneficiaries who fail to replace their cards before the deadline would no longer be able to access their social grant payments using the old cards.
July payment cycle critical
Postbank chief commercial officer Thami Cele appealed to beneficiaries who have not yet migrated to act during the July payment period to avoid disruptions.
“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.
“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.”
Cele said replacing the cards was necessary to ensure uninterrupted access to 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 has been replacing Sassa gold cards with black cards since April 2026, but said the response from beneficiaries has remained significantly lower than expected.
The bank warned that delaying the replacement until the last minute could lead to long queues and delays that may affect beneficiaries’ ability to receive their grants.
Saturday collections and free replacements
To ease the migration process, Postbank has extended operating days at many card replacement sites to include Saturdays.
The bank also urged beneficiaries whose gold cards have been lost or stolen, or who are experiencing difficulties using them, not to wait until the deadline before replacing them.
Black cards can be collected from Postbank service points located inside selected Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, Boxer and Spar stores.
Beneficiaries can dial *120*355# from any cellphone to locate the nearest collection point.
Customers must bring a valid South African ID or a temporary ID to collect a card. Cards can be collected in any province, regardless of where the Sassa grant was originally approved.
Postbank said the black cards work immediately after collection, with no need to visit a Sassa office. Any balance on an existing gold card will automatically transfer to the new card.
The replacement process is free of charge and requires no forms.
Beneficiaries needing more information can contact Postbank on 0800 53 54 55.
