In a bid to keep up with Capitec’s rapid Smart ID expansion, FNB and Standard Bank have both upgraded several of their establishments to bring Smart ID services to more Saffas. Standard Bank leads the way, adding 23 new branches to the mix. FNB trails behind, adding four new branches. Both form part of a larger plan by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to massively extend its reach beyond your local home affairs office.
Following Capitec’s lead
All of South Africa’s biggest banks have pledged themselves to aid this growth strategy, which is right on schedule. The DHA aimed to have at least 100 bank branches before the 25/26 financial year end, with Capitec’s most recent additions putting it over the line. Standard Bank and FNB have only added to the grand total.
“We are well beyond the halfway mark of our target in just the first quarter, which demonstrates our commitment to bringing secure identity document services closer to South Africans. Our branches are managing application volumes efficiently, reinforcing how our trusted infrastructure can support secure and broader economic activity,” said Kabelo Makeke, Standard Bank’s head of personal & private banking.
According to the DHA, more than 25,000 Smart ID applications have been processed through its new initiative. Previously, residents — especially those not in Gauteng or the Western Cape — were forced to put up with their local Home Affairs. Long wait times often clog up the buildings, leading to fewer people applying for a Smart ID.
Standard Bank’s expansion approach, like all the rest, has arrived in phases. This allows each bank to properly scale the DHA’s new ‘Bank Expansion and Digitisation Project’. Customers looking to apply for a new Smart ID or replace one can do so at any of Standard Bank and FNB’s newly kitted-out branches. Those would be:
New FNB branches offering Smart ID services:
- FNB Woodmead Branch, Gauteng
- FNB Lakeside Mall, Gauteng
- FNB Krugersdorp, Gauteng
- FNB Pretoria CBD, Gauteng
All Standard Bank branches offering Smart ID services:
- Bloemfontein, Free State
- Boksburg, Gauteng
- Bridge City, KwaZulu-Natal
- CapeGate Shopping Centre, Cape Town
- Central City, Gauteng
- Chatsworth Centre, KwaZulu-Natal
- East London, Eastern Cape
- Khayelitsha, Cape Town
- Kimberley, Northern Cape
- Klerksdorp, North West
- Kwagga Plaza Shopping Centre, Mpumalanga
- Lichtenburg, North West
- Mamelodi Crossing, Gauteng
- Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal
- Modimolle, Limpopo
- Nelspruit Crossing Shopping Centre, Mpumalanga
- Parow Centre, Cape Town
- Secunda, Mpumalanga
- Tzaneen, Limpopo
- Vryburg, North West
- Westgate Mall, Roodepoort, Johannesburg
- Westown Square, Shongweni, Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal
- Branch in Maponya Mall in Soweto, Johannesburg
Standard Bank isn’t stopping there. In addition to the 30 such branches under its wing, it hopes to up that figure to 50 before the end of April. FNB hopes to expand its branch offerings to 16 in that same period. Unfortunately, all of FNB’s additions are located in Gauteng, already rich with Smart ID opportunities.
During this initial launch phase, both FNB and Standard Bank have waived any additional fees. Customers applying for a Smart ID with either bank will only pay the R140 fee required by the DHA. It’s unclear exactly how long this grace period will last, nor how much the fees will increase by at that time.
