{
  "id": 3062368,
  "title": "SASSA gold cards: What to expect after the August 31 Postbank deadline",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/sassa-gold-cards-what-to-expect-after-the-august-31-postbank-deadline-3062368",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T16:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-24-sassa-gold-cards-what-to-expect-after-the-august-31-postbank-deadline2/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Postbank has given a final appeal to nearly 80,000 social grant beneficiaries who have yet to switch from SASSA gold cards to black cards by the August 31 deadline. The deadline will not be extended, and beneficiaries are urged to complete the migration as soon as possible to avoid interruptions in their grant payment services. Over 1.8 million beneficiaries have already made the switch since the process began in 2025, with the latest phase targeting around 420,000 beneficiaries since April 2026. Most of the remaining migrations are in KwaZulu-Natal (20,000), the Western Cape (17,000), the Eastern Cape (15,000), and Gauteng (14,000). Postbank chief commercial officer Thami Cele emphasized the importance of ensuring beneficiaries do not experience interruptions to payments, as they are a crucial source of livelihood for many families. Postbank has introduced additional operational measures at card replacement sites to handle the increased demand during this final migration phase. Beneficiaries can visit their nearest Postbank card replacement site, found inside retailers like Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, Boxer, and Spar, or dial *120*355# to locate a site. The migration process is free and requires only a valid ID or temporary ID. Cards will work immediately after issuance, and any remaining balance on the gold card will automatically transfer to the black card.",
  "summary": "With fewer than five days before the deadline to switch cards, Postbank says beneficiaries who miss the August 31 cut-off will still receive grants but must migrate before accessing funds.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Hungary on track to unlock €10bn in EU funds before August reform deadline",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/hungary-on-track-to-unlock-10bn-in-eu-funds-before-august-reform",
        "published": "2026-08-24T14:01:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "NSA sets August 26 deadline for students with biodata mismatches",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/nsa-sets-august-26-deadline-for-students-with-biodata-mismatches",
        "published": "2026-08-24T16:57:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}