Postbank's struggles: Card Replacement Project workers allegedly not paid

As thousands of SASSA beneficiaries continue their struggle to upgrade from the gold to the black cards, another crisis is unfolding behind the scenes.

Workers involved in the card replacement project have begun speaking out about the ongoing issues surrounding non-payment and the lack of accountability from Postbank. 

This crisis, which has persisted since September, sees new areas and staff members added every few months, and the workers say the situation is becoming unbearable.

One worker spoke about the difficulties many of the team members face. 

"When I started, we were told there was a payment cutoff, and we understood that. Everything seemed fine at first. But when February came around, I only received half of what I was promised. I wasn’t the only one—there were others who didn’t get paid at all."

Payment delays have become a recurring problem for many workers, with no clear resolution in sight. "We were told it would be fixed," one worker shared. "But every time we follow up, we’re told to 'toughen up.' It's frustrating.

“Yet here we are skipping lunch breaks and doing overtime, because a deadline is given, and we also think of the vulnerable people who are dependent on their grants.

‘Then every day, the system goes down. The network goes offline, and we can't process cards properly. But we’re blamed for these issues." 

The worker urged Sassa together with Postbank- with whom they signed their contracts to be transparent with beneficiaries.

The workers’ concerns are compounded by Postbank’s acknowledgment that the transition from the SASSA Gold Card to the Black Card is unlikely to be completed before the 20 March deadline.

Postbank CEO, Nikki Mbengashe, in a parliamentary committee meeting said that as of 28 February 2025, Postbank issued 880 000 cards to beneficiaries. 

“We started in September last year and we have issued in total 880 000 cards. This means 536 000 cards were issued over five months and in 12 days 334 000 cards were issued.”

Mbengashe said on 20 March the yellow cards will stop working but Postbank will continue to issue black cards until 30 June 2025. 

“Whether you have your yellow card or your black card, your money will go into your account. Whether you were able to register for a cardless solution or not, you will still get your money,” she said.

In response to the issues raised by workers, SASSA spokesperson Andile Tshona addressed the situation, clarifying the role of SASSA in the transition process. 

"The issue of migration from the SASSA Gold card to the Postbank Black card started in September 2024, spearheaded by Postbank.

"Therefore, all the sites at Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Spar, Boxer, and Pick n Pay are the responsibility of Postbank, and SASSA is only providing additional support since all the clients being migrated are SASSA beneficiaries.

“All the logistics and staff working at these sites are not under SASSA’s control, so we are not aware of the challenges mentioned."

Beneficiaries are reminded that the SASSA Gold card will stop working, and they wont be  be able to withdraw their grants using this card at ATMs or use it at retail shops.

They will just need to access it over the counter at Post Offices. 

Postbank has committed to continuing to issue black cards at retail shops even after the 20th.

Postbank did not respond to Weekend Argus’ media enquiry about the non-payment of workers.

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus