South Africa expands Smart ID replacement services to 753 bank branches

The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa has expanded its Smart ID replacement services to 753 bank branches, surpassing its original expansion target four months ahead of schedule.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber stated that the department reached this goal within eight months of launching a digital partnership with the banking sector in March 2026. The department originally aimed to reach 750 branches by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

This expansion provides access to identity services in communities that previously lacked these options. The new service allows citizens to walk into participating branches of ABSA, Capitec, First National Bank, or Standard Bank to process applications using secure biometric technology. These transactions take about five minutes and do not require prior bookings or paperwork. More than one million South Africans have already used this digital channel.

This initiative helps the department phase out green ID books, which the government considers prone to fraud and identity theft. At the start of the current administration, only 214 Home Affairs offices were equipped to process Smart ID applications. The addition of the bank branches increased the department's total service footprint to 967 locations.