The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has stopped giving out new Postbank black cards to social grant beneficiaries after the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) flagged issues with Postbank’s banking compliance.
This decision affects about 1.3 million people who have not yet moved from their old gold cards to the newer black cards.
The delay could lead to problems in receiving grants.
To help prevent this, the Reserve Bank has decided to keep the old gold cards active until May 31, 2025.
This extension gives beneficiaries more time to receive their payments without trouble, but it does not solve the bigger problem.
The push to switch to the black cards has been slowed down by poor banking infrastructure, especially in remote areas where it’s hard to access digital services or open new accounts.
Many people living in these areas are now being asked to open accounts with other banks so their payments are not interrupted.
Until Postbank fixes the issues raised by the Reserve Bank and resumes the rollout of the black cards, many South Africans are left uncertain about how they will get their next grant payment.
The current situation is a reminder of the need for better systems that can handle public services without delays or confusion.
