Home Affairs partners with banks to offer IDs, passports at branches
Residents could soon apply for IDs and passports at selected bank branches through a new partnership.
South Africans will soon be able to apply for their smart card IDs and passports at selected bank branches, thanks to a new partnership between the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), First National Bank (FNB) and Standard Bank.
The collaboration, launched on Wednesday, will also allow applications via mobile banking apps at a later stage.
Both banks will make the service available to all South Africans, regardless of whether they are customers.
Phased national rollout
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FNB has committed to an immediate rollout at 15 branches, expanding to 240 branches over the next year, with additional branches to follow as the project progresses.
Standard Bank will launch the service in 20 branches this year and reach 300 branches by 2027.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the move, describing it as a “new digital partnership model” that uses technology to increase access to essential services.
“This will dramatically increase Home Affairs’ footprint and bring us closer to delivering our vision of Home Affairs at home,” Schreiber said.
“I am grateful to the banks for showing how we can solve long-standing challenges through collaboration.”
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Banking leaders speak out
FNB Public Sector Banking CEO Sipho Silinda stated that the partnership, developed over more than a decade, will now be scaled up to reach a larger audience.
“Financial inclusion is linked to safe and secure documentation, and we are delighted to take our partnership with the DHA to the next level,” Silinda said.
Standard Bank personal and private banking CEO Funeka Montjane said the initiative was about convenience, “We are proud to be part of this forward-thinking collaboration that will save clients time and make it easier to access essential identity services,” Montjane said.
The department will issue further announcements as the rollout continues.
