Image Credit: GovernmentZA
A significant leap forward for public service delivery, the Department of Home Affairs has announced a groundbreaking digital partnership with Capitec Bank and First National Bank (FNB), aimed at expanding Smart ID and passport application services to hundreds more locations and directly through mobile banking platforms.
Bringing Home Affairs Closer to Citizens
Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, confirmed that through this new model, customers will be able to apply for critical identity documents not only at an expanded number of bank branches but also via the Capitec and FNB mobile apps.
This initiative aligns with the Medium-Term Development Plan’s mandate to extend Home Affairs services to 1,000 bank branches by 2029, a significant increase from the current 30 branches across five banks.
By embedding services into banking apps, the department seeks to eliminate costly infrastructure duplication and leverage existing technologies to reach underserved urban and rural communities.
Transforming the ID Application Experience
For many South Africans, this marks the first time they will be able to apply for Smart IDs or passports via a banking app ushering in the “Home Affairs @ Home” vision.
Currently, Capitec’s app serves around 13 million active users, while FNB has approximately 7.4 million digitally active clients, illustrating the large potential reach of this digital transformation.
The reform is hailed as the most transformative change in Home Affairs in decades cutting out long travel times, reducing waiting queues, and phasing out the outdated and fraud-prone Green ID book.
Minister Schreiber is scheduled to visit Capitec’s head office in Stellenbosch on Tuesday and then FNB’s Portside Tower in Cape Town on Wednesday, where more details about the rollout will be shared with media and stakeholders.
The Department has also extended invitations to other major banks including ABSA, African Bank, TymeBank, Discovery Bank, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank to join the initiative.
Notably, Standard Bank has already signaled its commitment to the initiative, announcing plans to enable Smart ID and passport applications and renewals via its digital banking platforms in the near future.
