Banking

Huge win for Capitec customers in South Africa

Staff Writer

 ·31 Mar 2026

South Africa’s largest bank by customers, Capitec, has added 20 more branches equipped with its self-service Smart ID facilities.

After launching at seven branches at the beginning of the month, the banking group added 40 more just a few weeks later.

By the end of March, the group added 20 more braches, with a total of 67 now active, with Smart ID services now available in every province in the country.

What is notable about the achievement is that Capitec has single-handedly almost tripled the number of bank branches issuing Smart IDs, pushing the Department of Home Affairs over the 100 branch mark.

In April 2025, the DHA published its Strategic Plan through to 2030, outlining its key targets and goals through the medium term.

This included its ambitious targets for Smart ID-enabled bank branches and a projected end date for the Green ID book.

In the plan, the department stated that it aims to have 100 additional bank branches operating Smart ID services by the end of the 2025/26 financial year, which ends on Tuesday, 31 March.

Further, it aims to have 1,000 bank branches in the system by the end of the medium term, adding 400 in 2026/27 and 500 in 2027/28.

With Capitec’s 67 branches now live, combined with the 35 branches from other banks (including four new digital branches for Standard Bank), the department is sitting with a total of 102.

While the this is not 100 “additional” branches, it represents a significant accelaration of Smart ID services in a relatively short period of time.

The initial Smart ID and Passport trial with South Africa’s banks was launched in 2015, and over 10 years managed only to reach 35 branches.

The DHA’s new digital-led rollout has almost tripled that in 12 months, with hundreds more branches to come.

In addition, the department wants to develop a delivery method for Smart ID cards and Passports to get these vital documents into the hands of South Africans at preferred addresses.

This system will be developed in 2025/26, it said, with the implementation set for 2026/27 and carried forward.

How the Smart ID services work

While Capitec has significantly expanded the reach of Smart ID services, it remains limited.

The bank has emphasised that branches are currently available only to Capitec customers and only for Smart ID replacements.

This includes replacing a lost, stolen or damaged Smart ID card or replacing a green ID book with a Smart ID card. First-time ID applications are not yet available in-branch.

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.

Capitec said it will roll out branches in phases, with many more still to come. The other banks are also expected to launch new Smart ID services at branches in the months to come.

Here are the 66 branches where Capitec customers can access Smart ID services:

Gauteng (16)

Western Cape (13)

KwaZulu-Natal (12)

Limpopo (8)

Eastern Cape (6)

Free State (5)

North West (3)

Mpumalanga (3)

Northern Cape (1)