The Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Tolashe, has committed to ensure that no beneficiaries are put at a disadvantage when migrating from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Gold card to the Postbank Black card, and has promised to oversee the entire process.
Minister Tolashe made those remarks during a joint virtual Portfolio Committee meeting of Social Development and Communication and Digital Technologies held on Tuesday, 18 February 2025. The two committee Chairpersons summoned this urgent meeting for SASSA and Postbank, the two components of Social Development and Communication and Digital Technologies Depertments, to provide the committee with information about migrations and reiterate how there is a plan to ensure no one gets forgotten.
Minister Tolashe told the Committee that the migration of SASSA beneficiaries to Postbank has been a nightmare as SASSA beneficiaries’ interests are at stake. She pointed out that Postbank and the South African Reserve Bank’s decisions have put SASSA in the crossfire. Mrs. Tolashe explained that her department and SASSA certainly cannot afford to be ambivalent on these issues which is why her department, SASSA, and Postbank have to collaborate so the beneficiaries can receive the grants. Minister stressed that this process is directly Postbank’s responsibility and her department and SASSA are unfairly scapegoated, and there are no actions taken. For this reason, she added, there is Postbank need to be compelled to further improve SASSA together with the successful support to migration of the beneficiaries.
At times of creating challenges, we should not trade accusations because as much as we know the truth, solving it is what is important. We must unite all stakeholders towards a sustainable resolution to the challenge. We also request the committee’s assistance to update us if any member of the public is facing difficulties so that we can assist.
“We should be safeguarding our clients who are significantly impacted by the process who in most cases are elderly people and persons with disabilities,” Minister Tolashe said.
Moreover, she told the Portfolio Committee that the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), with Postbank, has given undertakings towards a swift rectification of the problem to minimize disruption for all beneficiaries impacted.
While addressing the Portfolio Committee, SASSA Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr Themba Matlou explained the arrangements he reached with Postbank regarding assistance to recipients out of a concern for enabling adequate service delivery.
“Each site will have two SASSA personnel on the ground to help with managing queues, providing elderly and frail persons with quick services. The Social Grant Payment System will also make provisions for extended hours so they can begin capturing requests to change a payment method as most beneficiaries hae had to deal with SASSA for this. This means the SASSA System will operate from 6h00 to 19h30 during the week and on weekends until the end of April 2025,” Matlou said.
He assured the committee that all backlogs of Method of payment changes will be cleared by Friday 21 February. Matlou said that SASSA is going to launch a nationwide community outreach programme to try and reach beneficiaries in remote regions.
“SASSA is going to focus on areas that do not have South African Post Office card replacement sites by intensifying its Community Outreach programme,” he said in the end.
