Major bank in SA expands Smart ID services to over 240 branches

Getting a Smart ID could be easier for thousands of South Africans, with Capitec now offering Smart ID services at more than 240 branches across the country.

The expansion forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ digital partnership with South African banks, which has grown to 457 participating branches in just five months.

Capitec accounts for more than half of these outlets, with the bank currently listing 242 Smart ID-enabled branches, with more expected to be added.

KwaZulu-Natal has the most Capitec branches

Capitec’s Smart ID service has its widest coverage in KwaZulu-Natal, where 56 branches are currently enabled.

This is followed by:

• Gauteng: 53 branches
• Western Cape: 36
• Eastern Cape: 30
• Mpumalanga: 20
• Limpopo: 19
• Free State: 13
• North West: 9
• Northern Cape: 6

This makes Capitec the biggest banking participant in the Smart ID rollout by a considerable margin.

Capitec customers can also use the bank’s Self-Service Terminals (SSTs) to apply for a Smart ID without making a prior booking.

The service currently costs R150, which consists of the standard R140 Home Affairs fee plus a R10 Capitec service fee for logistics.

The bank says the process can be completed within minutes.

However, the service remains limited for now. It is available only to Capitec customers and is currently intended for Smart ID replacements or replacing green barcoded ID books, rather than every type of new ID application.

Home Affairs says the partnership is speeding things up

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the banking partnership is expanding rapidly and helping the department reduce the processing times traditionally associated with obtaining identity documents.

The programme also allows applications to undergo pre-verification before they are submitted, reducing the number that require additional back-office verification.

This has helped improve both turnaround times and the quality of applications being processed, according to the department.

The banking partnership is still relatively new, but its rapid expansion means more South Africans are gaining an alternative to visiting a traditional Home Affairs office.