South Africa is expanding its smart ID services through bank branches, offering citizens an alternative to visiting Home Affairs offices for obtaining identity documents and passports. The initiative builds upon the eHome Affairs pilot program launched in 2015, which established banks as additional service channels for Home Affairs documentation. The expansion is part of South Africa’s broader push toward digital identity solutions, which has included recent initiatives like plans for digital driver’s licenses.
Currently, approximately 30 bank branches across South Africa provide smart ID and passport services. Standard Bank operates nine locations, including branches at Canal Walk, Centurion, and Simmonds Street. FNB maintains seven branches offering these services, while Nedbank and Absa each operate six locations. Discovery Bank and Investec Bank provide services at their respective head office and Sandown branch. The banking sector’s involvement in identity verification builds on existing implementations of biometric authentication technology, as demonstrated by Capitec Bank’s adoption of multimodal biometric authentication for its services.
The digital platform enables customers to schedule appointments and submit applications online for both smart IDs and passports. After providing biometric information, including photographs and fingerprints at the bank branch, customers can collect their new identity documents at the same location once processing is complete. The system incorporates advanced security measures to prevent fraud, particularly important given South Africa’s ongoing challenges with identity-related scams.
Minister Schreiber has indicated plans for significant expansion of these services in 2025, with hundreds more bank branches potentially joining the program. While the service is presently unavailable in the Free State and North West provinces, the Department of Home Affairs intends to establish coverage across all provinces. The expansion supports South Africa’s broader digital transformation efforts, including initiatives to link mobile numbers with biometric data for enhanced security.
The bank branch service network represents an evolution in South Africa’s identity document infrastructure, designed to address operational challenges in traditional Home Affairs offices. The system aims to improve efficiency through digital appointment booking and streamlined processing at banking locations, leveraging the existing secure infrastructure of financial institutions while reducing pressure on government facilities.
Sources: Cape {town} Etc, BusinessTech, IOL
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