Good news for Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, and Absa customers in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs has rolled out Smart ID services to 669 bank branches across the country, with passport services nearing launch.
According to the bank’s latest rollout figures, there are now 319 Capitec branches offering Smart ID services, replacing the old green ID books, which have been given an end date for their validity.
The DHA has 157 Standard Bank branches recorded on its online system, followed by 140 FNB branches and 30 Absa branches—23 more branches have rolled out but are still to be loaded on the system.
Notably, this marks an increase of more than 200 branches since September.
While South Africa’s other banks have signed on to be part of the Smart ID rollout, only these four banks have launched branches on the new system.
According to the department, the rollout is well on its way to reaching the 750-branch target by the end of the year and is likely to meet the 1,000-branch target well ahead of schedule.
The Department has set a target of having 1,000 bank branches active with the Smart ID rollout over the medium term—ie, March 2029—a target likely to be hit well ahead of time.
In addition to the latest branch figures, the DHA said it had also hit another milestone, having processed over 1 million South Africans for Smart IDs since the digital partnership launched in March.
“The first bank branch where citizens can walk in without any prior bookings, paperwork or queues to apply for a replacement Smart ID card went live on 9 March 2026,” the DHA said.
“Today, the service is live at 669 bank branches across the length and breadth of South Africa, and has already served 1,002,773 citizens.”
In addition to the new bank branches, there are hundreds of permanent Home Affairs offices that offer Smart ID services, bringing the total to 873 service points nationwide.
The DHA noted that the new Smart ID application process is entirely digitalised and secured through biometric technology, and takes around five minutes to complete, on average.
The process also offers no scope for “human discretion, paperwork or manual procedures” that previously left space for corruption and manipulation.
Passports are coming
DHA Minister Leon Schreiber said it is pivotal that South Africans make use of the services so that the government can move on from the green ID book.
There are currently 14.7 million green ID books that need to be replaced by Smart IDs.
Schreiber reiterated that the DHA will cease production of the Green ID Book on 31 March 2027 and withdraw its recognition as a valid form of identification by 31 March 2028.
Currently, only Smart ID services are offered through the bank branches, and they are limited to renewals or green ID replacements.
The DHA said it will start rolling out Passport services at bank branches “shortly”, and will also include the capacity for first-time Smart ID applications.
Home delivery services will also be activated through all bank branches, “setting a new standard for the security and efficiency”, the department said.
“Within a matter of months, five-minute digital applications for all Smart ID and Passport services, as well as the option to have these enabling documents delivered to your doorstep, will be available at over one thousand bank branches throughout the country,” the DHA said.
This will be complemented by the recently unveiled Digital ID system, “ensuring that the days of standing in endless queues to obtain an ID or Passport will soon be a thing of the past”.
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