BSB Visa card distribution delayed

South African company’s contract extended

Botswana Savings Bank ( BSB) is working around the clock to meet its target of opening transactional accounts and issuing visa debit cards for people with disabilities, destitute, old age pensioners and World War II veterans.

The cards will enable beneficiaries to access and withdraw their cash at their own convenience.

BSB, a wholly government owned bank was awarded the contract of disbursing social benefits to the beneficiaries by Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ( MLGRD) late last year along with another parastatal, Botswana Post, following the end of Sandulela’s contract. Sandulela is a South African private company. While technical glitches experienced by BSB have delayed the project, they have on the other hand been a saving grace for Sandulela which has been given an extension to provide its services until BSB has fully enrolled the distribution of cards. BSB Spokesperson Bomolemo Selaledi confirmed that the MLGRD recently appointed her bank to distribute the visa cards. She explained that through this programme, BSB customers are each issued with a Visa debit card to enable them to access and withdraw their cash at their convenience, through their transactional based account. The facility will also create a lot of convenience and security for the clients with no charge on maintenance fee. Selaledi said the card distribution exercise started on March 8th 2021 and is progressing well, with a good number of beneficiaries covered and issued with debit cards. “However, there have been some slight delays encountered due to strict adherence to COVID- 19 health protocols”. She said as a result, fewer numbers are being processed daily to ensure compliance. Once the entire exercise is completed all beneficiaries will be duly informed of the effective disbursement date. Selaledi said the following regions and villages are covered under the year- long contract, North - Mahalapye, Palapye and Serowe. South Central covering Gaborone, Gabane, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Mochudi and Ramotswa and South being Lobatse, Kanye, Moshupa, Molepolole and Goodhope. She said the BSB Chief Executive Officer, Nixon Marumoloa recently embarked on a road show to various distribution centres and had an opportunity to meet and greet the beneficiaries.