Get your SASSA grant paid on time with MiGoals
Get your grant money paid directly into your MiGoals Account for a R5 monthly fee.
South Africa’s legacy of poverty, inequality and unemployment means that millions of people still rely on social grants to survive. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), run by the Department of Social Development, pays out monthly grants in the following categories:
- Older persons (those over 60 years old)
- Disability
- War veterans
- Care dependency
- Foster child
- Child support
- Grant-in-aid
- Social relief of distress
In most categories, beneficiaries must pass a means test to assess their income and assets and make sure that they qualify for a grant. However, some grants, like the foster child grant, do not require a means test. Using their SASSA card, recipients can get their grants paid in cash at a Post Office or at a participating Boxer, Shoprite or Pick n Pay store at the start of every month.
Why getting social grants on time is so important
If you’re one of the many people who rely on a social grant, you’ll already know how important it is to get this money on time every month, especially if it’s your only source of income. If you live far from a cash payment outlet, it can be difficult to collect your money. Transport costs cut into the amount you have left over to pay for food and other necessities.
We encourage grant beneficiaries to open a MiGoals Account because it’s a pay-as-you-use account
It’s even worse when service delivery failures result in the payment outlet not receiving the grant money on time, meaning that you have to go back the next day. Wasted journeys to collect your grant just increase your transport costs. In September 2023, for example, the Postbank administration was unable to release the funds on time, and many people were paid their grants much later than usual. Some had to make several trips before they got their money.
You may be one of the grant recipients who’ve been forced, in desperation, to take out loans just to put food on the table when payments were late. Add the interest and administration fee on loans to the travel costs, and there would’ve been even less of your grant left over to pay for vital living expenses. You deserve a better solution.
Nedbank MiGoals: Get your SASSA grant on time at no cost
Instead of travelling long distances and queueing to receive your grant in cash every month, why not get it paid into your bank account? You can open a Nedbank MiGoals Account with an account maintenance fee of only R5 a month, and have SASSA pay your grant directly into it.
A MiGoals Account comes with a free gold debit card and free card purchases. Paying for groceries and other essentials with your card means that they’ll cost you the same as when you pay with cash, allowing you to keep more of your grant money to spend on the things you need.
Nedbank Consumer Banking Channel (CBC) runs permanent kiosks at selected Boxer stores around South Africa where CBC agents advise shoppers, including grant recipients, about Nedbank products and services. ‘We go to the people instead of waiting for them to come to us,’ says Ngawetu Ngambu, Regional Manager for CBC Gauteng S&E Main Market.
Agents also visit SASSA payment points and help beneficiaries who are keen to switch to Nedbank to receive their grants. ‘A lot of them want to change. They are seeing the problems that Postbank faces. We can open accounts on site,’ Ngawetu says.
Draw your money from the till
In addition to a free gold card and unlimited card purchases at the till, as a MiGoals accountholder you’ll also get the following:
- Free digital transfers between your Nedbank accounts.
- Free stop orders.
- Free notifications of activity on your account in the Money app.
- Discounts of up to 50% at Nu Metro when you pay with your card.
‘We encourage grant beneficiaries to open a MiGoals Account because it’s a pay-as-you-use account,’ Ngawetu says. Download the MiGoals pricing guide 2024 to see the fees for pay-as-you-use transactions and services, so that you can choose the most convenient, affordable options. For example, withdrawing money from your account at the tills in Shoprite, Boxer or Pick n Pay costs less than withdrawing at ATMs or branches.
MiGoals accountholders can also use Nedbank’s extensive network of ATM and Intelligent Depositor (ID) machines to make deposits. ‘Some of the grannies, aunts and uncles are members of various societies and deposit money monthly for those societies. They can easily do that at our ATMs and ID machines,’ Ngawetu adds.
A MiGoals Account has so many benefits if you’re a grant recipient – not only will you get your money on time and spend less on bank charges and taxi fares, but you’ll also get access to all the digital banking services you might need on the Money app. Use your MiGoals card to pay for shopping, and you’ll also be spared the worry of carrying your grant money with you in cash, which leaves you exposed to loss or theft.
You can apply for a MiGoals Account online, or at any Nedbank branch, or at one of our kiosks in a Boxer store.
