South African Smart ID applications head online
The Department of Home Affairs has put its eChannel portal for Smart ID applications online, with registrations open to the public for brief periods.
Even though a link to the portal is available from the Home Affairs website, the department said it has not “officially launched” the portal.
Using the portal shows it is still under development, with the site giving security errors in Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox for Ubuntu.
Firefox on Windows and Mac also warns you that the site may not be properly secured. It is therefore not advisable that you use the system for the time being.
Despite the portal not being officially launched, a reader reported they were able to register and apply for their Smart ID online.
MyBroadband senior journalist Jan Vermeulen was also able to apply online and visited his local bank, where he was taken through the process.
You can follow a step-by-step process on how to apply via MyBroadband.

More on Smart IDs
Absa now supports smart ID applications at its branches
Smart ID applications open to everyone in Joburg