All the bank branches where South Africans can get a new passport and smart ID

There are currently 30 bank branches across South Africa where people can get a new passport or smart ID, eliminating the need to visit a Home Affairs branch.

Most South Africans dread visiting a Home Affairs branch due to poor customer service, the system often being offline, and the need to queue for hours.

There are thousands of online complaints about the Department of Home Affairs, ranging from long waiting times to rude staff and non-working computers.

Former Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi acknowledged they are battling long queues at offices across South Africa.

He unveiled numerous initiatives to improve service levels, including overhauling the department’s tech and networks and rolling out more mobile banking units.

However, these initiatives have not fully addressed the frustration of visiting a Home Affairs office.

The good news is that people who need a new passport or smart ID do not have to visit a Home Affairs branch.

In 2015, the Department of Home Affairs launched its eHome Affairs pilot, allowing banks to provide an alternative channel for engaging with the department.

Under the memorandum of understanding between the banks and the department, the system uses the department’s employees to render the service.

eHome Affairs makes it possible for banking customers to book appointments on the digital platform to apply for and process Smart IDs and passports.

South Africans have their biometric information, including a photo and fingerprints, taken at the bank branch.

This biometric information, in addition to personal details submitted online, is then used to produce the new smart ID or passport.

The process is completely paperless. All the required details are submitted online, and payment is also made on the eHomeAffairs website.

The person is alerted when their new passport or smart ID is available, and they can pick it up at the bank branch.

The platform has been operational for nine years, and millions of South Africans have used it to obtain new passports and smart IDs.

The bank branches where people can get a new smart ID or passport

There are currently 30 bank branches at Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Nedbank, Investec and Standard Bank, where South Africans can get a new smart ID and passport.

The good news is that there are plans to significantly expand the project with many more branches to follow.

BASA’s prudential head, Mark Brits, said the agreements to expand the service were mostly completed and signed.

FNB plans to add 18 eHome Affairs branches and Absa currently has an additional 12 branches ready for activation.

Discovery Bank also announced that it plans to expand the service by adding four locations in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban.

The new Discovery Bank eHome Affairs branches will be in Sea Point, Century City, Pretoria, and Umhlanga.

Nedbank has also confirmed it wants to expand its home affairs services but has not confirmed how many new branches it will add.

If all these plans come to fruition, the number of eHome Affairs bank branches in South Africa will increase from 30 to 64.

However, for now, South Africans can only visit the 30 branches in the table below to apply for and get their new smart ID or passport.

The bad news is that this service is not available in all provinces. This is one of the problems the Department of Home Affairs want to address.

The service to renew South African Smart IDs and passports at bank branches is not available in the Free State or North West.

The service is currently available in select bank branches in Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.