While the rest of South Africa’s banks quietly upgrade their branches to appease the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Capitec is speedrunning the system. Since Capitec’s last major Smart ID expansion, which brought the total number of Smart ID branches to 67, the bank has equipped nine more of its branches with these powers.
Capitec in the lead
It’s clear to see why Capitec is pulling ahead of the pack. It employs Self Service Terminals (SSTs), which the bank reckons can help any of its customers apply for a Smart ID in less than five minutes. The other banks participating in the DHA’s plan are stuck training their employees, resulting in a slower rollout.
Capitec has almost single-handedly helped the DHA achieve its goal of expanding Smart ID services to more than 100 branches before the end of 2026. As it stands, there are now 111 branches across South Africa where customers can replace their green ID book and apply for a new Smart ID card. Before April is over, Standard Bank aims to add 20 more branches to that figure, for a total of 50.
Capitec is responsible for 76 of those, providing at least one Smart ID-enabled branch in every province. Gauteng is currently in the lead with 18 such locations, while the Northern Cape stumbles behind with only one. Before, those without access to Smart ID branches were forced to visit their local Home Affairs office.
We’ve included a full list of the 76 Capitec branches currently offering Smart ID services:
Eastern Cape
- Elliotdale
- East London Hemingways
- Engcobo High 306
- Idutywa Main
- Jeffreys Bay Fountains Mall
- Mthatha York City Centre
- Port Elizabeth Greenacres 16
- Port Elizabeth Newton Park
Free State
- Bloemfontein Plaza
- Botshabelo Mall
- Ladybrand
- Parys Palmgate Shopping Centre
- Welkom Goldfields Mall 50
Gauteng
- Carletonville Mall
- Eldorado Park
- Evaton Mall 37b
- Florida Goldman Crossing
- Heidelberg Mall
- Lenasia Trade Route Mall
- Mamelodi Square
- Nigel
- Orange Farm Eyethu Mall L15
- Pretoria Hatfield
- Pretoria Middestad Mall
- Sandton City L14f
- Soshanguve Mall V15
- Soweto Bara Mall
- Soweto Maponya Mall Shop 125
- Springs Mall
- Tembisa Birch Acres
- Tembisa Plaza
Kwa Zulu-Natal
- Amanzimtoti Seadoone Mall
- Durban Overport
- Emondlo Mall
- Esikhaleni Mall
- Harding Corner
- Howick on Main
- Jozini Shopping Centre
- Manguzi
- Mbazwana
- Mkuze Plaza
- Newcastle Scott
- Pietermaritzburg Scottsville
- Umhlanga Gateway F62/15
- Umzinto
Limpopo
- Bela Bela Mall
- Elim Hubyeni Mall
- Giyani Masingita Centre
- Matoks
- Metz Mahlakung
- Modjadjiskloof
- Polokwane City Centre
Mpumalanga
- Burgersfort Morone
- Kriel
- Nelspruit Brown
- Siyabuswa Mall at Moutsiya
North West
- Northam Plaza 13
- Mafikeng Mall
- Potchefstroom Mooirivier Mall
- Rustenburg Platinum Square
- Vryburg Mompati Mall
Northern Cape
- Kathu Village Mall
Western Cape
- Canal Walk
- Cape Town Adderley
- Cape Town V&A Waterfront
- Citrusdal
- Hermanus Whale Coast Mall
- Mitchells Plain Watergate
- Paarl Main Road
- Piketberg
- Stellenbosch Eikestad
- Swellendam
- Table View Table Bay Mall
- Tyger Valley Centre
- Vredenburg Weskus Mall
- Worcester Mountain Mill Centre
