By the end of the week, 17 bank branches in South Africa will be equipped with new machines, enabling clients of two of the country’s biggest banks, Standard Bank and Capitec, to apply for a smart ID in just 5 to 10 minutes. This is made possible through a digital partnership model between the Department of Home Affairs and the banks, which allows for a direct connection to Home Affairs systems via an API-based digital gateway.
According to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, this new system signifies a major milestone in the department’s reform drive to deliver public services more efficiently. Schreiber stated that the process should take no more than 10 minutes, and clients will not need to bring any additional documents or fill out paperwork. The Department of Home Affairs has published an information page with frequently asked questions to guide applicants through the process.
Benefits of the New System
The primary goal of this intervention is to reduce the need for people to travel long distances to apply for documents by increasing the number of locations where applications can be made. This should also help cut down on long queues at Home Affairs branches. Currently, the service is only available to citizens and qualifying permanent residents who want to convert their green ID book to a Smart ID card or have a Smart ID card reissued.
Eligibility and Future Plans
It’s essential to note that first-time Smart ID applicants must still apply at a Home Affairs branch. However, the intention is to also make passport applications possible through the partnership at a later stage. Home Affairs and the banks have expressed an intention to enable home delivery of documents in the future, but for now, collections will be done at the bank branch where the application was made.
The following banks have agreed to join the partnership: Absa, Discovery Bank, Nedbank, African Bank, and GoTyme Bank. FNB is currently in the final phase of testing the service. The new application system will be available through two banks at 17 branches across the country, including Jeffreys Bay, Fountains Mall, which is set to go live on Friday, 13 March.
- Standard Bank and Capitec are the first banks to offer the new service.
- Absa, Discovery Bank, Nedbank, African Bank, and GoTyme Bank will join the partnership soon.
- FNB is in the final phase of testing the service.
For more information on the new digital partnership model, visit the Department of Home Affairs Wikipedia page to learn more about the department’s initiatives and services.
