In the wake of its recently formed partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Standard Bank has taken its first steps toward expanding the country’s smart ID and passport services at its bank branches. The bank revealed that it had acquired all the necessary tools and infrastructure to kit out twenty more of its branches with the tech in early 2026, up from the nine or so that already offer these services.
Happy state of Home Affairs
“We’ve moved from concept to execution, and the fact that we’ve already secured the infrastructure for 20 new branches shows just how serious we are about making this service accessible to more South Africans. It’s about convenience, yes, but it’s also about dignity and inclusion and providing access to essential government services to more of our clients,” said Marius Le Roux, Standard Bank head of client experience.
That’s assuming the coming trial period goes according to plan. To ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible, Standard Bank has chosen two branches to pilot the technology, keeping an eye out for major issues that could impact broader execution. Standard Bank hasn’t revealed which branches are included.
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The pilot phase involves putting the technology to the test, as well as Standard Bank’s employees. The bank reckons the staff have undergone “specialised training” to fully utilise the system’s biometric capabilities, integrate with the DHA’s own systems, and securely handle documents.
Standard Bank hasn’t yet said which branches will get the DHA upgrade, but notes that these have been “strategically selected to ensure geographic diversity and to serve communities where access to DHA services is currently limited.” It went on to say that it will focus on areas where green ID books are still prevalent, while maintaining a mix of metro and rural branches as it expands its reach across South Africa.
