Good news for FNB customers in South Africa
FNB is quickly accelerating the rollout of Smart IDs and passport services across South Africa, with plans to reach 240 FNB branches nationwide by December 2026.
FNB plans to offer Home Affairs’ services at 240 branches across South Africa by December 2026.
FNB has partnered with Home Affairs over the last decade and has signed on to the new expansion project to bring Smart ID services to hundreds of branches across South Africa.
The expanded service allows customers to obtain their Smart IDs from Home Affairs branches across the country, with banks granted greater access to the Department’s systems.
Since it launched earlier this year, the partnership has already delivered meaningful impact at scale, with FNB issuing over 14,000 Smart ID cards under the new digital model.
“Our ambition has been to meaningfully shift how South Africans experience access to essential services, making it more seamless, more inclusive and more responsive to their everyday needs,” says Lytania Johnson, CEO of FNB.
“As we continue with the next phase of expansion, our focus remains on extending access to more communities across the country through a branch network that customers already know and trust.”
The rollout to FNB branches is live in more than 51 branches nationally, with coverage across all provinces, and more are being added every month.
Zibu Nqala, CEO of Retail and Business Banking Distribution at FNB, noted that the bank is working to bring services closer to where customers live and work.
Nqala noted that bringing Home Affairs services into its branch network has reduced friction, saved time, and improved the overall experience for customers across the country.
She added that the rollout has helped customers avoid long queues and multiple trips and complete applications more efficiently and with greater certainty.
Goodbye to the Green ID book
Dr Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, said the partnership with FNB and the expansion of services into branches is a major milestone in the Home Affairs @ home reform programme.
“More than half a million South Africans have already made the switch from the fraud-prone green barcoded ID book through our Digital Partnership with the banking sector in less than five months,” Schreiber said.
“Every Smart ID Card issued means one fewer vulnerable green ID book in circulation and another step towards secure Home Affairs services that are closer to where people live, work and bank.”
FNB customers will continue to pay the standard Department of Home Affairs application fee of R140, with no additional convenience or logistics fees.
“As we scale, our focus is on raising the standard by improving accessibility, strengthening reliability, and delivering a seamless, customer-centred experience at every touchpoint,” added Nqala.
“Looking ahead, we see significant opportunity to expand this model, deepen integration, and strengthen our partnerships to drive even greater impact.”
While the partnership between Home Affairs and banks currently focuses on Smart IDs, passport services will soon be rolled out to banks.
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