Home Affairs Partners with FNB & Standard Bank to Expand Smart ID and Passport Services
News
Aug 14, 2025
Home Affairs Partners with Capitec and FNB to Expand Digital ID and Passport Services Nationwide
By Globalza
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs announces Capitec and FNB as first banking partners to dramatically expand Smart ID and passport services through branch networks and banking apps, marking a new digital era for citizen services.
The Department of Home Affairs has announced a major leap in service delivery, with Capitec Bank and First National Bank (FNB) becoming the first financial institutions to sign on to its new digital partnership model for Smart ID and Passport services.
The announcement was made by Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, who described the agreement as a “transformative step” toward improving access to essential services for all South Africans.
The new model will see services expand from the current 30 participating bank branches to hundreds more across urban and rural areas. In addition to physical branches, customers will be able to apply for Smart IDs and Passports via secure digital banking applications — marking a significant shift towards a “digital-first” public service era.
In line with the Medium-Term Development Plan’s target, Home Affairs aims to extend services to 1,000 bank branches by 2029. On 30 April 2025, Director-General Tommy Makhode formally invited CEOs from South Africa’s major banks — including ABSA, African Bank, Tyme Bank, Discovery Bank, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank — to join the initiative.
Until now, Home Affairs’ collaboration with banks has spanned more than a decade but remained limited. The original model required duplicating staff and hardware in each branch, which proved costly and inefficient. The new approach leverages technology to overcome these barriers, bringing services closer to communities and reducing the need for long travel or hours spent queuing.
“This is the beginning of the end for the Green ID book, with its vulnerability to fraud and identity theft,” said Minister Schreiber. “It is also the start of a new era where essential government services are integrated into everyday banking channels, making them more accessible than ever.”
Minister Schreiber will visit Capitec and FNB this week to outline the rollout plan and highlight the benefits of the reform.
