Sapo on track with payments

As the deadline for social grant recipients to upgrade their cards to the new SA Post Office (Sapo) gold card draws closer, the agency maintains the process is on track in Limpopo and the targeted beneficiaries will be reached before monthend.

By tomorrow, all SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries will have to hand in their old Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) cards and receive their new card. As of Monday, the system will completely roll over to Sapo as the new organisation in charge of the Sassa payment system.

The card swap was initiated on May 1, following a Constitutional Court order which gave Sassa until the end of this month to stop its contract with CPS, and hand over to Sapo, which took over on April 1.

Sassa spokesperson Norman Kutama said the response from the beneficiaries in Limpopo has been overwhelming and they are confident that the target would be reached.

Kutama said: “The targeted beneficiaries are 573 000, and the number remaining is less than 70 000 to be completed before the end of September.

“Other beneficiaries use their bank accounts and the remainder in far-flanked areas will still be paid in cash at pay-points.

“Sassa is confident that, given the positive response by the beneficiaries, it will meet the September deadline for card swap.”

Despite challenges with the new cards, as some beneficiaries failed to receive their grants back in July – either at ATMs or merchants like Shoprite – Kutama says there were no major setbacks.

“Despite the technical glitches experienced in July of which the SA Post Office was able to resolve, Sassa managed to pay all beneficiaries in August without challenges,” Kutama said.

However, he refuted the growing concern from hawkers that the new process of grant distribution would take away businesses at pay-points. “Sassa has consulted all stakeholders interested in the payment process, including hawkers in Limpopo, and we have given them a list of those open pay-points which will continue to function, where beneficiaries used to get their cash payments, so that those interested can align their plans.” – ANA