AS of 1 April, Sassa beneficiaries will no longer be allowed to stand in long queues to collect money from the Post Office.
This comes after the South African Post Office (Sapo) started closing cash payment points for social grant recipients after the initial announcement in December 2023.
Postbank confirmed this to Daily Sun on 19 February amid the rolling out of phase one which began early February.
According to Postbank spokesman Bongani Diako, beneficiaries using Sassa Gold Cards will from 1 April start collecting grants at ATMs and retailers such as Boxer, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Checkers and Usave using the same cards.
Diako said these cards can be also used to purchase items.
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Previously, Sassa and Postbank announced that, as part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of cash withdrawal services for all social grants recipients, physical cash payment points (CPP’s) and cash withdrawal of social grants inside Post Offices will be phased out.
The phasing-out process was promised to be implemented in a "staggered way" as the 2024 year began, starting in January 2024.
To date, at least 870 CPPs will be closing as indicated by Sassa released a schedule.
When Daily Sun questioned Diako if enough awareness was given to the elderly to be guided into the transition, he assured the paper that many beneficiaries are already in knowledge.
“Across the country, only less than 100 000 people collect grants money inside Post office branches out of millions of grants recipients.
"The majority already use ATMs and the listed retailers as that is convenient. Also, post offices will continue to be available to assist grant beneficiaries with non-cash transactions such as card reissuing and PIN resets,” he said.
While many were worried whether their expired Sassa gold cards would continue to work, Daiko said this phase out process doesn’t mean that people must change their payment method, nor should they listen to anyone telling them to do so.
