More bank branches where you can get your passport and Smart ID expected
FNB and Standard Bank are in discussions with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) about expanding their smart ID and passport renewal services to more branches.
The Department of Home Affairs launched its eHomeAffairs system on 7 April 2016 to facilitate easier access to government services online.
This initiative formed part of the Department of Home Affairs’ aim to replace about 34 million green-barcoded ID books with the Smart ID Card.
The eHomeAffairs system was initially available through ABSA, First National Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank.
At launch, banks offered the eHomeAffairs system at 12 branches in Gauteng and one branch in Cape Town.
The plan was to enter a public-private partnership with participating banks to increase the footprint in the provinces.
Progress has been made over the last eight years. Investec and Discovery Bank joined the project, and the service is now available at 30 branches.
However, it is much slower than initially envisaged and two provinces, North West and Free State, don’t have any branches offering the service.
The good news is that the big banks are in discussions with the Department of Home Affairs to expand their offering.
FNB and Standard Bank said they have signed the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding until the end of September 2024.
The two banking giants told Daily Investor they hope a permanent solution can be found before then.
The extension agreement covers the pilot sites currently operated by Department of Home Affairs employees. Discussions on signing a partnership agreement are still in progress.
Kabelo Makeke, head of personal and private banking at Standard Bank South Africa, said they have big expansion plans.
“Once the agreement is signed, we will focus on the conversion of the pilot sites and thereafter review our position on expanding this service,” Makeke said.
The Banking Association of South Africa is also working on the next phase of the eHomeAffairs project.
Once finalised, banks will be able to announce the expansion of the service to other selected branches across the country.
Successful project which citizens value
The Department of Home Affairs’ eHomeAffairs system is a successful project which South Africans value.
FNB’s head of public relations, Sizwekazi Mdingi, said while the rollout has been slow, the service is incredibly popular among South Africans.
Over 1.4 million Smart ID cards and passport renewals are carried out at eHomeAffairs-enabled bank branches.
By the end of March 2024, the bank’s seven eHomeAffairs-enabled branches had issued 220,664 Smart ID cards and renewed 273,039 passports for a total tally of 493,703.
The bank said its branches currently complete around 7,000 ID and passport applications in a month.
The nine eHomeAffairs-supported branches of South Africa’s biggest bank, Standard Bank, issued or renewed 418,397 documents, the second-highest number.
Although the participating banks do not directly benefit financially from offering passport renewals and smart ID cards, it helps them to service their clients better.
“As a full-service financial services institution, we strive to provide access to all financial services and options beyond,” Makeke said.
“We see the relationship with the DHA as a strategic partnership that provides accessible, convenient and cost-effective services to our customers.”
Passport renewals and smart ID applications can be cumbersome at Homa Affairs offices, which gives participating banks a competitive edge.
Capitec clients, for example, do not have the luxury of visiting a bank branch to get their new smart ID or passport.
Therefore, FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Investec, Nedbank, and Discovery Bank ensured their clients have access to the convenience of the eHomeAffairs system.
DHA-enabled bank branches in South Africa
The table below shows all the Department of Home Affairs enabled bank branches in South Africa.
| Province | Bank branch |
| Gauteng | Absa Centurion Lifestyle Centre Absa Key West Krugersdorp Absa Sandton City Discovery Bank Head Office FNB Centurion Lifestyle Centre FNB Glen Shopping Centre FNB Lynnwood FNB Merchant Place Investec Bank Sandown Nedbank Arcadia Nedbank Constantia Kloof Nedbank Rivonia Standard Bank Centurion Lifestyle Centre Standard Bank Jubilee Mall Standard Bank Killarney Mall Standard Bank Simmonds Street |
| Western Cape | Absa Stellenbosch Absa Towers FNB Greenpoint Nedbank St George’s Mall Standard Bank Canal Walk Standard Bank Mitchell’s Plain Promenade |
| KwaZulu Natal | FNB Cornubia Nedbank Durban North Standard Bank Kingsmead |
| Eastern Cape | Absa Port Elizabeth Standard Bank Newton Park |
| Mpumalanga | Nedbank Nelspruit |
| Limpopo | FNB Burgersfort |
| Northern Cape | Standard Bank Kathu Mall |
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