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1.8 million grant beneficiaries have migrated to black cards – Postbank

by | Labour Market News

More than 1.8 million social grant beneficiaries have migrated from SASSA gold cards to Postbank’s new black cards, with the bank reporting that more than 80% of its targeted migrations have been completed ahead of the 31 August deadline.

In a statement on Friday, Postbank said that the migration process was progressing smoothly, with no significant challenges reported.

The bank said beneficiaries who have already migrated were experiencing the ease and convenience of the new cards and benefiting from the card enhancements.

The accessibility of card replacement sites, particularly those located at retailers where beneficiaries regularly shop, has also been welcomed, Postbank said.

This has made it easier for beneficiaries, including those in rural areas, to access migration services as part of their normal shopping routines.

The bank said the transition had been carefully planned and supported by extensive operational preparations and a comprehensive public awareness campaign to ensure beneficiaries were informed about the changes and the importance of migrating within the stipulated period.

Postbank said provinces that had initially recorded lower migration numbers, including the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, had increased their conversion volumes this week.

Social grant beneficiaries receiving child support grants, who are typically young and mobile mothers, account for up to 90% of beneficiaries who have not yet completed their migration to black cards.

Postbank Chief Commercial Officer Thami Cele said the bank’s migration plan remained on track.

“The Postbank’s established card migration plan remains on track and is being implemented as planned. We are encouraged by the latest visible strong response from beneficiaries and the progress we have made.

“As a state-owned bank, our priority is always to ensure that every social grant beneficiary makes a transition to the new cards and does not experience any inconvenience. We are particularly pleased that most of the elderly and disability grants category groups have completed their migrations, and we now urge all beneficiaries who have not yet migrated to take advantage of the remaining time and complete the process without further delay,” Cele said.

Extended operating hours 

Postbank will extend the operating days of its card replacement sites to include Saturday and Sunday from 09H00.

Beneficiaries who have not yet migrated are encouraged to use the additional operating days to complete the process before the deadline.

However, Postbank said beneficiaries who miss the 31 August deadline will continue receiving their social grants, with their accounts remaining active after the deadline.

The bank will also keep its card replacement sites open after 31 August to assist beneficiaries who still need to migrate.

Postbank urged beneficiaries not to wait until after the deadline and to make use of the remaining time and extended weekend operating days.

The migration can be completed at Postbank sites located inside selected retailers, including Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, Boxer and Spar stores.

Beneficiaries can dial *120*355# from any cellphone to locate their nearest card migration site.

The migration process is free of charge and beneficiaries only need to present a valid ID or temporary ID. No forms are required.

Cards can be collected from any province, regardless of the province in which the beneficiary’s SASSA grant was approved.

The black cards work immediately upon issue, with no need for beneficiaries to visit a SASSA office.

Postbank also said any balance on a beneficiary’s gold card would automatically be reflected and remain accessible. For more information, beneficiaries can contact Postbank on 0800 5354 55. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/18-million-grant-beneficiaries-have-migrated-black-cards-postbank

Decision to support ANC or SACP left to unions: COSATU

by | Labour Market News

FILE] COSATU flag
Image Credits: X | @_cosatu

The Congress of Trade Unions of South Africa (COSATU) has left the decision on whether to support the African National Congress (ANC) or the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the upcoming elections to its unions.

The trade union federation held its Central Executive Committee meeting ahead of its 15th National Congress next month.

The COSATU congress is tasked with electing a new leadership and coming up with resolutions on political developments that affect workers.

Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi says the alliance partners, the ANC and SACP, going into the local government elections separately must not serve to divide workers.

“On this question, we are not going to rush ourselves because our political parties that we are in alliance with have resolutions and they are going to elections. COSATU must be thorough first the unity of the workers must be sacrosanct, the unity of affiliates is important, so every union has a responsibility to canvass this discussion within itself and the unions, and we’ve set ourselves a path that takes us to the 15th national congress where this discussion will be on the congress debate floor.”

Cosatu says it can’t be business as usual in the country when workers continue to bear the brunt of unemployment, poverty, inequality, rising living costs and the deterioration of public services compounded by corruption.

Cosatu 1st deputy President Mike Shingange says they are also worried about migration developments in the country.

“It is because we’ve got fewer police in this country, because the policy of our state is that there was a few police, public servants, to be in every corner, to police. We only have 2 300 labour inspectors in this country, which means all the workplaces can’t be inspected by a labour inspector on a daily basis, because we don’t have enough labour…the border management changes that we have established, only operating at 25% capacity. So, it can’t police all the borders. The Home Affairs that is supposed to have more migration officers to inspect immigration, they are only at 40% capacity. So, that on its own, it’s a problem of our own government, not to have enough capacity to fight crime on this term of migration.”

Video: COSATU to hold its CEC meeting next month

Source: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/decision-to-support-anc-or-sacp-left-to-unions-cosatu/

Johannesburg butchery shut down over serious labour and health violations

by | Labour Market News

Meat products found improperly stored during the inspection at a Johannesburg CBD butchery.
Image: Supplied

A Johannesburg inner-city butchery has been shut down after a joint government inspection uncovered a string of labour, health and safety violations, including workers being paid below the national minimum wage, unsafe working conditions and food safety concerns.

Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth, accompanied by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero, led a multi-disciplinary compliance operation in the city centre on Friday as part of a broader government crackdown on businesses flouting labour laws and municipal by-laws.

The inspection team found serious contraventions at Siesta MTN Butchery, prompting labour inspectors to issue several prohibition notices under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Officials identified blocked walkways, exposed electrical distribution boards, inadequate changing facilities for workers and a lack of proper seating, with cashiers reportedly using crates while on duty.

Inspectors also found workers were being paid below the minimum wage and that the employer was not contributing to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), placing the business in breach of labour legislation.

The operation further uncovered health and safety concerns, including workers initially operating without the required personal protective equipment (PPE), meat products being defrosted on the floor and domestic animals, including cats, being kept inside the building.

As a result of the findings and additional breaches of environmental health regulations, the City of Johannesburg ordered the immediate closure of the butchery.

Speaking during the operation, Meth stressed that compliance with South African labour laws was non-negotiable.

“The laws of the Republic are not a nice-to-have. We all have the responsibility to comply with the law. We want businesses to continue operating and contribute to the economy, however they must comply with the laws of the Republic,” she said.

Meth said the department’s inspections were aimed at both enforcement and education, helping employers understand their legal obligations while protecting workers’ rights.

“Our approach is what we call a carrot and stick approach. We empower and educate businesses, identify areas where they need to improve and issue notices where necessary,” she said.

The inspection team also visited Boxer Superstore, where officials engaged management and workers while assessing compliance with labour legislation, including the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

Addressing concerns about the employment of foreign nationals, Meth urged businesses to make greater use of South Africa’s available workforce, noting that the department maintains a database of more than seven million registered job seekers.

“We are saying to businesses, open up the space for South Africans. But we are not xenophobic. Foreign nationals who are legally in South Africa have the right to be employed. However, people who are in South Africa legally as visitors or students cannot simply take up employment without the necessary legal permission,” she said.

City officials also inspected whether businesses complied with building regulations and possessed approved building plans.

Morero said the city would continue targeting non-compliant businesses while assisting those willing to meet legal requirements.

“This joint operation with the Department of Employment and Labour is part of our ongoing commitment to reclaim and restore order in the Johannesburg inner city. We will not turn a blind eye to businesses that put workers’ safety and dignity at risk, or that operate outside the law,” he said.

IOL News

Source: https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-08-21-johannesburg-butchery-shut-down-over-serious-labour-and-health-violations/

New penalties put employers on notice

by | Labour Market News

‘We don’t have to wait for the bill to be passed before those employing illegal foreigners start stressing, but the scary part is in the fines going anywhere from R100 000 to R1m or even more’ – Aadil Wadee, immigration lawyer, Xpatweb.

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

JIMMY MOYAHA: The South African Department of Employment and Labour has put forward the Employment Services Amendment Bill that aims to look at how employers are held accountable for the undocumented foreign nationals that they employ.

Currently, Section 38 of the Immigration Act speaks to some penalties that can be imposed on employers that employ undocumented foreign nationals, and the latest proposal is that these penalties be increased in severity.

We’re going to look at this in more detail with senior immigration consultant at Xpatweb, Aadil Wadee. He joins us on the line to see what we make of this. Aadil, good evening, thanks so much for taking the time.

Let’s start with an overview of the current amendment bill that is sitting before parliament for review. Give us an understanding of where we stand with that particular process, what penalties are currently in place, and what is being proposed.

AADIL WADEE: Yes, of course, Jimmy. Thank you so much for having me, and good evening to your listeners as well.

I think the starting point at the moment for a lot of people out there – because there is a lot of talk surrounding this bill at the moment – is we have to remember that, as it currently stands, it is a bill.

It’s currently with the portfolio committee before it gets passed into law, so it’s not finalised yet. But there are a lot of changes that seek to make [conditions for] the employing of foreign nationals in South Africa more stringent.

The part I want to touch on in that – specifically with regard to practising immigration – is the Department of Home Affairs itself.

As we’ve currently seen, the landscape is seeking to make it a little easier to actually mobilise talent into South Africa; so it’s almost a little contradictory on that front itself.

But with the review of this bill and what it seeks to impose, I think the key point for a lot of individuals out there is the new fines which need to be introduced, whereby they’ve set fixed amounts.

Currently, this is governed under Section 38 of the Immigration Act, whereby imposition of either fines or jail time is part of the act itself, but the fines themselves have not been defined in terms of the amounts.

Read: Arrests, fines and imprisonment a reality for SA employers hiring illegal foreign nationals

So the scary part for a lot of employers out there at the moment is in regard to the fines going anywhere from R100 000 to R1 million or, in certain circumstances, even more than that.

I think that’s the scary part at the moment.

JIMMY MOYAHA: Aadil, you touched on the fact that the Department of Home Affairs has taken a slightly different approach, and I suppose the main differentiator here is we’re looking at undocumented foreign nationals versus those who are legitimately in South Africa.

I want to take a look at the penalties in more detail and get a sense of perhaps some of the unintended consequences that could come up for businesses legitimately seeking the expertise of legitimate foreign service providers and foreign nationals.

How could we possibly find ourselves in a tough spot, given that some of our sectors and some of our industries do currently face a skills shortage? I suppose that’s what we’re trying to drive with the Department of Home Affairs side of things.

AADIL WADEE: Of course. When it comes to undocumented foreign nationals, illegal foreign nationals in South Africa, the Immigration Act already basically imposes [penalties] on employers – they are deemed to know they are employing undocumented foreign nationals and that’s when the fines or imprisonment can be imposed on them because it’s deemed that they already know.

So a lot of emphasis is placed on employers themselves to make sure that any individual who is employed by the company has been vetted properly, has the correct documentation.

Because, if they are deemed to be an illegal foreigner, obviously those fines and/or imprisonment can be imposed.

In terms of the skills shortage specifically, the department is obviously very aware of that. With regard to a lot of the long-term visa options already available for South Africa, those cater to various different needs, depending on the individuals themselves.

There are also options out there in terms of visa options whereby, if they are for low-lying employees or low-level employees, there is something known as a corporate visa, et cetera. That’s often the case in terms of farm workers, for example.

They’ve tried to cater for everyone, whether skills in a multinational company, or maybe a farmer who requires certain expertise for the type of fruit he’s growing.

At the end of the day they have tried to cater for every one of those individuals. It’s now up to the employer to make sure that, yes, sometimes I do understand that it takes a little bit of time to try and get those visas out. That’s where a lot of the problem comes in – due to the time aspect.

But the problem is those mechanisms do exist at the end of the day.

So relying on ‘Oh, we just can’t get them in because there’s a skills shortage, and we had to bring them in as soon as possible’ will not suffice as an applicable excuse when the Department of Labour, or the Department of Home Affairs, or SAPS [South African Police Service] rocks up at your business and asks ‘Why do you have an illegal foreigner?’.

The fact of the matter is you were supposed to follow the route which is laid out in the Immigration Act itself.

JIMMY MOYAHA: Aadil, before I let you go, I want to take a closer look at that route and the practical steps that companies, prospective employers, can explore when looking to have legally compliant foreign professionals come and work in South Africa. That’s also quite important if we are to find that some businesses require these services. As you said, there is a route to go by; there are practical steps to follow here.

Where should we start, especially given that we don’t know if this bill is going to move ahead or not as yet? But businesses need to prepare.

AADIL WADEE: Of course. I fully agree businesses do need to prepare because, again, I just want to touch on the fact that as much as this bill isn’t passed, the fact that the Immigration Act already has certain fines and imprisonment built in the system means that we don’t have to wait for the bill to be passed before employers start stressing.

I feel they should have started stressing almost yesterday already, because with the way the country’s currently going and the number of inspections, et cetera, going on, it is crucial for employers to make sure that they are doing things the correct way.

The starting point for most employers out there who employ foreign nationals or have foreign nationals currently employed within their businesses, is to first vet the documents that those nationals currently have. It’s super-important to do so.

Something I want to touch on is it’s not just [enough] that an employee comes to you and produces a visa or permanent residence, et cetera, document. There is a deeper look into that which has to be done. There are obviously a lot of fraudulent documents out there which have to be looked at.

And secondly, the visa itself is always specific to the scenario of that individual.

The conditions on a visa, for example, differ from case to case. So it’s always important to first do that.

And there’s one of two ways as a starting basis. First, there is formal verification itself, which is done through the Department of Home Affairs, whereby they will verify the authenticity of that visa.

Or sometimes you can do something as an informal verification through third parties, whereby there are professionals who look at the documents of your employees to make sure that they are legitimate, or provide you at least with a basis to say that on face value this is what it appears to be.

That is a very good starting point for employers out there, because they have to vet the people they currently employ.

For future planning, it’s always important to identify the type of situation you’re currently in – and why the employee needs to come to South Africa. And then on that basis we need to qualify it against the Immigration Act to see which category itself actually allows that employee to come in on that specific basis.

So future planning is a little easier, because we now know we have to make sure that we deal with each scenario on a specific basis.

But for current employees in your employ, it is extremely important right now to just make sure.

Just because they have a visa doesn’t mean they’re here legally. It means you have to make sure that that visa itself is correct for the position they’re in within your company.

JIMMY MOYAHA: Some potentially significant changes are on the cards for employers looking to hire foreign nationals in South Africa.

Of course, this conversation is an ongoing one; it has been ongoing for the longest time. We’ll keep an eye on how these developments may financially impact employers going forward.

We’ll leave the conversation on that note. Senior immigration consultant at Xpatweb Aadil Wadee joined us to take a look at the latest amendment bill being put forward for consideration around penalties for those who employ undocumented foreign nationals.

Source: https://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb-radio/safm-market-update/new-penalties-put-employers-on-notice/

Gauteng equips social workers to better support GBV survivors

by | Labour Market News

The Gauteng Department of Social Development is strengthening support for gender-based violence survivors by equipping social workers and frontline professionals with specialised trauma-informed care skills to provide compassionate, victim-centred support and promote long-term healing.

For GBV survivors, healing can continue long after the immediate crisis. The Gauteng Department of Social Development is strengthening support services by equipping frontline officials with specialised trauma-informed care skills.

The department recently hosted a Trauma-Informed Care Conference at the Springs Civic Centre in the Eastern Corridor, bringing together Social Workers and other professionals working under the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP).

The initiative supports Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) 2020–2030, which focuses on response, care, support and healing.

ALSO READ: From GBV survivor to entrepreneur: Nxumalo tells her story

Director for the Victim Empowerment Programme and Social Crime Prevention, Khanyisile Mathebula, said the aim is to ensure survivors receive sensitive, appropriate and victim-centred services that support both immediate needs and long-term recovery.

“Through VEP, the Department works closely with key stakeholders across the criminal justice and health sectors,” she said, naming the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority, police, Department of Community Safety and Department of Health.

Mathebula said departmental monitoring identified a need to further strengthen therapeutic and psychosocial services provided by social workers across the province.

ALSO READ: Ekurhuleni DA mayoral candidate calls for urgent action against GBV

“The training aims to equip Social Workers with practical knowledge and skills to provide effective counselling and trauma-informed interventions to victims and their families,” she said.

The conference covered understanding trauma, including trauma caused by domestic violence and sexual offences, how trauma manifests, and therapeutic approaches for individuals, couples and families.

Psychologist and occupational therapist Dr Marcia Zikhali also supported the conference, providing specialised expertise on the emotional, psychological and social impact of GBV.

ALSO READ: Gauteng MEC condemns child abuse, calls for urgent action on GBV

The training further highlighted effective referral systems, safe and private environments for victims, and the importance of supporting Social Workers to reduce burnout and secondary trauma.

Zikhali stressed that victims and their families should be active participants in the healing process.

“Victim-centred services are essential in promoting healing, restoring dignity and empowering survivors to rebuild their lives,” she said.

The department said it remains committed to strengthening frontline services and partnerships to ensure GBV survivors receive compassionate, professional and effective support throughout their healing journey.

Source: https://www.citizen.co.za/kempton-express/news-headlines/local-news/2026/08/27/gauteng-equips-social-workers-to-better-support-gbv-survivors/