Elderly grant beneficiaries queue from as early as 3am outside the Wynberg Sassa office to replace their gold cards.
Image: Tracey Adams
Hundreds of elderly social grant beneficiaries braved the early morning chill outside the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Main Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, on February13.
Many had arrived before sunrise, anxious to replace their expiring gold Sassa cards with new Postbank black cards before the February 28 deadline.
The line stretched around three sides of the block by 7am, with some pensioners standing for hours without seating or shelter.
“I was here yesterday from early in the morning until after 1pm, but I had to leave because I couldn’t stand any longer,” said 80-year-old pensioner Jack Pontac from Retreat.
“I came back again today. I’ve been bedridden for two months and I’m still not 100%, but I’m here, hoping that by God’s grace, I’ll get my card today.”
Pontac described the confusion he encountered when directed to the Grassy Park Postbank site, only to be told it was closed and redirected back to Wynberg. “I just hope that my pension will come through by March,” he added.
The rush comes as Sassa and Postbank announced that gold Sassa cards will stop working after February 28, regardless of the expiry date printed on the card. The cards will no longer function for withdrawals, purchases, balance enquiries, or statements.
Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe urged beneficiaries to act swiftly.
“We appeal to beneficiaries that have not yet switched to Postbank black cards to take the opportunity and get the new cards before the deadline of February 28, 2025, to avoid not being able to access their Sassa grant payments.”
Elderly grant beneficiaries queue from as early as 3am outside the Wynberg Sassa office to replace their gold cards.
Image: Tracy Adams
However, the card replacement process has been fraught with challenges, especially for elderly and disabled beneficiaries.
“People are standing here for hours, sometimes days, just to get their new cards,” said Wynberg resident and community volunteer, Sarah Daniels. “Some of these pensioners are frail, and there’s no proper assistance for them.”
The Western Cape Department of Social Development has raised concerns about the availability of replacement sites across the province. MEC Jaco Londt criticised the lack of accessible facilities, particularly for rural beneficiaries.
“Most sites are concentrated in the Cape Town Metro, with only two in the entire province located outside the city,” Londt said. “This forces elderly beneficiary to travel long distances and endure exhausting queues, as we’ve seen here in Wynberg.”
Sassa has advised beneficiaries to collect their free Postbank black cards at participating retailers such as Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, and Boxer. A valid South African ID or temporary ID is required.
Beneficiaries can locate their nearest card replacement site by dialling 120218*3# and following the prompts. For assistance, they can contact Postbank at 0800 53 54 55 or Sassa at 0800 6010 11.
For those who miss the deadline, grant payments will only be accessible through in-person cash withdrawals at selected retailers, which may mean even longer queues in the coming months.
IOL
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