…Researched and contributed by Joseph Benjamin.
Shoprite is urging South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries to switch their payments to a Shoprite Money Market Account to ensure their grant payments continue uninterrupted.
The supermarket has said that beneficiaries with expiring SASSA gold cards can avoid queues and payment problems by making the switch to the Money Market Account for free.
The account has several advantages, including zero monthly fees and a fixed R5 fee for cash withdrawals.
It allows customers to bypass long queues and high ATM fees by depositing and withdrawing cash at any of the more than 25,000 till points at Shoprite, Checkers, and Usave supermarkets across the country.
Customers can also perform several transactions without paying any charges, such as sending money, buying airtime, data, electricity and grocery vouchers, and paying bills through their mobile phones.
According to Shoprite, SASSA beneficiaries will get up to R100 in Shoprite vouchers when their first SASSA grant of R800 or more is paid into their Money Market Account.
This will help recipients get access to discounts and save money.
Shoprite’s offer comes amid SASSA gold card renewals and the threat of provisional liquidation for the South African Post Office (SAPO), which provides regular grants, including pension, disability and child grants.
The Post Office has stopped providing the R350 grant, and the Agency urged customers to collect the money from its retail partners or other methods.
To register for the Money Market account, customers can choose one of four options: dial 1203534#, send a WhatsApp message to 087 240 5709, visit the in-store Money Market counter or download the Shoprite app.
After registering, customers must sign in to their account and download the Bank Confirmation Letter.
They must also download or collect a SASSA switch form from the Money Market counter at any Shoprite or Checkers supermarket.
Finally, customers must take their printed Bank Confirmation Letter, completed SASSA switch form, and original ID to their nearest SASSA office to complete the registration process.