All the bank branches where you can get your Smart ID and passport in South Africa – more coming soon

South Africans looking for a more convenient way to apply for and receive their Smart IDs and passports are still limited to only 30 branches across major banks to do so.

However, the Department of Home Affairs expects this list to expand soon, with the long-standing pilot set to expire at the end of March 2024.

In late 2023, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the department had received confirmation from The Banking Association of South Africa that the participating banks are ready to sign the partnership agreements.

The minister previously noted that, once the programme is in full swing, upwards of 40 more bank branches are primed to roll out the feature.

The eHome Affairs pilot with the banks was launched in 2015, which allowed the banks to provide an alternative channel to engage with the department, expanding its services.

It allows banking customers to book appointments on the digital platform to apply for and process Smart IDs and passports without having to step foot into a Home Affairs office.

The system has been in operation for eight years, with “periodical upgrades” being made. Over 3.5 million South Africans have used the bank branch system for the Smart IDs and passports, the department said.

The pilot was expected to end in March 2023, after which around 43 new bank branches were primed for rollout for the services.

However, this target was missed, and the pilot was extended to September 2023. In September, the department announced that the pilot would again be extended to March 2024.

The total breakdown of 30 branches is as follows:

• Standard Bank: 9
• FNB: 7
• Absa: 6
• Nedbank: 6
• Investec Bank: 1
• Discovery Bank: 1

The details of the branches can be seen below.

Standard Bank

FNB

Nedbank

Absa

Other banks

Read: New bank branches for Smart ID and Passports in South Africa coming very soon