No more excuses, guy. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced yesterday that it was partnering with two of South Africa’s largest banks, FNB and Capitec, in a bid to expand smart ID and passports services around the country and ensure easy access no matter where you are.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that FNB and Capitec were the first South African banks to sign up for the DHA’s new ‘digital partnership model’. The upgrade will see the number of branches offering these services rise into the hundreds, as well as offering these services through banking apps.
Banking on the banks
The minister also revealed that he wrote to Absa, African Bank, Tyme Bank, Discovery Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank to invite them to join the initiative. The DHA will require more banks’ participation if it expects to have 1,000 branches involved by 2029.
“FNB recognises how critical Smart IDs and passports are to all South Africans, whether for applying for basic services, opening bank accounts, seeking employment, or travelling… With the DHA’s newer technology, reaching millions of South Africans through FNB’s systems and infrastructure will be a reality. That is what real help is all about, continuing to support everyday South Africans,” said FNB CEO, Harry Kellan.
“By combining our technology, branch network, and client-first approach with the Department of Home Affairs’ mandate, we are making essential services faster, simpler, and more accessible for millions from suburbs to rural areas,” said Capitec CEO Graham Lee.
Read More: FNB’s new Fincents platform looks to boost South Africa’s financial literacy skills, for free
In a separate announcement, Capitec noted that it was taking a phased approach, rolling out these services at ten branches only, before expanding that to 100 branches by “early 2026”.
FNb mentioned that since it first partnered with the DHA back in 2015, it has issued more than 570,000 smart IDs and passports through seven participating branches alone. With customers able to apply for reissuance through the FNB app, it could make these figures skyrocket. FNB didn’t say when customers could expect to see these app upgrades.
More important than new app features, FNB also stated that it was working to enable every branch with the ability to handle smart ID and passport applications, ensuring “representation across all provinces and allow[ing] us to continue providing convenient, community-focused services in partnership with the DHA.”
