New bank branches where South Africans can get their Smart IDs
Standard Bank has confirmed the phased rollout of its Smart ID application and renewal services at more branches across the country.
Standard Bank, along with a host of other banks in South Africa, has signed on to expand Smart ID services across its branches in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs.
Having already signed on to the initial pilot 10 years ago, the new service will see banks assume greater responsibility for issuing Smart IDs.
Standard Bank said the expanded service will begin at its Rosebank, Maponya Mall, and Westgate branches before expanding nationwide.
During the launch phase, Standard Bank clients will not be charged any convenience or logistics fees and will only pay the Home Affairs application fee of R140.
Amid the lack of additional fees, the bank will focus on testing, refining, and responsibly scaling the service.
“Access to identity documents is foundational to participation in the economy,” said Marius Le Roux, Head of Fraud Operations, Client Experience and Risk Execution at Standard Bank.
“Our focus is on removing friction for clients, not adding to it. That is why, during our launch phase,
customers will pay only the Home Affairs fee, while we work closely with the department to scale a reliable, technology-enabled service across our branch network.”
The current rollout forms part of the department’s digital partnership model, which connects bank branch infrastructure directly to Home Affairs’ backend systems.
This will enable faster, more reliable processing without duplicating state resources in branches.
The in-branch service will allow customers to apply for or renew Smart ID cards, complete payment,
and collect their IDs at the same branch, reducing queues and travel time.
“Our approach with the DHA prioritises service reliability, client experience and national scale, ensuring that when we expand, we do so in a way that genuinely delivers value to South Africans across urban, township and rural communities,” Le Roux said.
Home Affairs has set a goal of expanding Smart ID service to more than 1,000 bank branches nationally by 2029.
Standard Bank said that it remains a committed partner in supporting the national goal, and further details on branch availability and the broader rollout will be communicated in the coming weeks.
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