{"id":853754,"date":"2026-03-12T13:53:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=853754"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:04:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T13:04:19","slug":"34-new-bank-branches-to-get-a-smart-id-in-south-africa-including-in-two-provinces-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/banking\/853754\/34-new-bank-branches-to-get-a-smart-id-in-south-africa-including-in-two-provinces-for-the-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Great news for Capitec customers in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Capitec has overshot its Smart ID launch branches, opening 30 instead of the planned 13 for the first week of the project with the Department of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHA Minister Leon Schreiber noted that 34 new bank branches across South Africa will now offer Smart ID services, including in the Free State and the North West for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home Affairs began offering Smart ID and passport services at branches a decade ago through an initial pilot with major banks across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the initial pilot was limited to around 30 branches nationwide, and it required Home Affairs staff to be seconded to bank branches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Home Affairs announced a new system where banks would be given greater access to the department’s systems, allowing them to offer the service independently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the system, banks can directly access Home Affairs systems through a secure Digital API Gateway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several banks signed on to the expanded initiative, including many who weren’t part of the initial pilot, such as Capitec, African Bank and TymeBank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expanded service officially launched this week, with Home Affairs outperforming its own targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the department aimed to have 17 bank branches go live this week, 34 branches are now live across all nine provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister said that Home Affairs expanded Smart ID services’ footprint by 10% in just three days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitec and Standard Bank were the first two banks to roll out the service this week, with FNB, Nedbank, Absa, Tymebank, Discovery Bank, and African Bank set to follow suit in the near future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitec is responsible for the vast majority of new branches that offer Smart ID services, capitalising on its extensive branch network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitec has the largest bank branch network in South Africa and is focusing on areas that other banks and Home Affairs have struggled to offer services, especially in rural areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, the first-ever branches that offer Smart IDs are now available in the Free State<\/strong> and the North West.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard Bank has also expanded the service to four new branches in South Africa, adding to the existing branches that offered the service during the initial pilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 34 new Capitec and Standard Bank branches that offer the service are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Capitec <\/h2>\n\n\n
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