Capitec launches 7 new branches for Smart IDs in South Africa
Banking group Capitec has announced the launch of Smart ID services at seven branches in South Africa, marking the bank’s first entry into the rollout with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
The service is launching on Monday, 9 March, in these locations:
- Sandton City (Gauteng)
- Orange Farm Eyethu Mall (Gauteng)
- Howick (KwaZulu-Natal)
- Swellendam (Western Cape)
- Hermanus Whale Coast Mall (Western Cape)
- Kathu Village Mall (Northern Cape)
- N1 Botlokwa Plaza, Matoks (Limpopo)
The bank said that additional branches will begin offering the service throughout the week, with more locations planned across the country throughout the year as the rollout expands.
Following a successful piloting phase with the DHA, the rollout will expand to 100 locations by mid-2026.
The launch will see the rollout of in-branch Smart ID services using a self-service terminal. Capitec clients can apply for a Smart ID via the terminal with no prior booking required.
According to Capitec, the process should take less than five minutes to complete and is fully integrated with DHA systems, enabling secure, real-time processing.
The application fee is R150, comprising the standard DHA fee of R140 and a Capitec service fee of R10 to cover logistics.
Clients will receive a notification when their ID is ready and can then collect it from the branch.
With more than 860 branches across suburbs, townships and rural areas, and a customer base of over 24 million people, Capitec has the potential to facilitiate a massive rollout of Smart IDs.
Graham Lee, Group Chief Executive Officer of Capitec, said the group is using its scale and technology to shorten long journeys and help fill a real gap in underserved communities in particular.
Capitec is also the first bank to move beyond reliance on stationed Home Affairs officials, it said.
Instead, it has developed a proprietary digital integration, built on Amazon Web Services, that connects dedicated in-branch SSTs directly to DHA systems.
This enables Capitec to scale the service quickly with strong stability and lower operational costs.
The terminals are centrally managed, enabling new features and critical security updates to be deployed rapidly.
“This architecture is already proving its value. Capitec’s SSTs are designed to streamline everyday transactions by digitising and simplifying processes, reducing time spent in queues and returning valuable hours to clients,” it said.
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