Pretoria – SASSA and Postbank have announced that physical cash payment points (CPPs) and cash withdrawal of social grants inside Post Offices will be phased out.
The Postbank said the move was part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of cash withdrawal services for all social grant recipients.
“The phasing-out process will be implemented in a staggered way starting in January 2024,” SASSA and the Postbank said in a joint statement on Monday.
“It is planned that by 31 March 2023, all CPPs and Post Office branch grant payments would have stopped.”
SASSA Gold Card social grant recipients using CPPs and Post Office branches must now use those cards at any place that accepts a bank card.
This includes:
- making purchases at any retailer that has a point of sale to swipe for goods,
- withdrawing funds from any retailer that provides a cashback functionality,
- existing Postbank cash withdrawal channels in the form of any bank ATM,
- or any of the five partner retailers that include Boxer, Pick n Pay, Spar, Shoprite, Usave and Checkers.
The decision to transition away from cash distribution at CPPs was first announced in 2018 and it is grounded in a commitment to improve overall customer experience.
“Factors such as escalating cash-in-transit heists, unfavourable conditions at some of the CPP sites, and the closure and capacity challenges at many Post Offices drove this strategic move,” the statement said.
“By migrating beneficiaries to the other National Payment System (NPS) access channels, we are solving for these challenges proactively.
“As of December 2023, approximately 98% of SASSA beneficiaries already use various NPS channels to withdraw their grants.
“Most SASSA beneficiaries will therefore not be affected by this change.
“The transition will be implemented sensibly to ensure that no one is left out.”
The Postbank said the aim was to ensure continuity in the payments for everyone, and that every person is paid their grant in the most efficient, safe, secure, reliable, and convenient manner.
Contrary to rumours, the statement said: “It is worth repeating the assurance from SASSA and Post Bank that SASSA Gold Cards will not expire and remain fully valid and operational beyond this month of December 2023 to pay social grants”.
Guaranteeing that SASSA Gold Cards work beyond December, and into 2024 until further notice, highlights SASSA and Postbank’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted and improved access to services.
