Dr Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Home Affairs
Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Newspapers
The Department of Home Affairs has formed a strategic partnership with Capitec Bank and First National Bank (FNB).
This collaboration rapidly expands the availability of Smart ID and Passport services to hundreds of bank branches across South Africa, thus promising greater convenience for citizens in both urban and rural locales.
The announcement was made by Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, who expressed his pride in collaborating with Capitec and FNB.
Schreiber highlighted the transformative nature of this partnership, stating, “I am proud to announce Capitec Bank and First National Bank as the first banks that have elected to sign up to the Department's new digital partnership model.”
This partnership represents a significant leap from the previous provision of services at just 30 branches in collaboration with five banks.
Aligned with the Medium-Term Development Plan which seeks to expand services to 1,000 bank branches by 2029, this initiative is set to significantly bolster the operational outreach of the Department of Home Affairs.
Schreiber elaborated on the advantages of the partnership: “This will expand access to Smart ID and Passport services from the existing 30 to hundreds more bank branches, and this effort includes provisions for digital banking applications.”
The Director-General of Home Affairs, Tommy Makhode, underscored the government's commitment to innovative service delivery by reaching out to the CEOs of major South African banks, including ABSA, African Bank, TymeBank, Discovery Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank, to encourage their participation in this expanding digital collaboration.
The Department of Home Affairs stated that this collaboration dates back more than a decade, with previous efforts limited by the need to duplicate Home Affairs staff and equipment at bank branches—a process that was both costly and restricted the department’s service delivery capacity.
As part of nurturing this new phase of collaboration, Minister Schreiber plans to visit both Capitec and FNB within the week to discuss the implications and benefits of the ongoing reforms, aimed at enhancing public service for all South Africans.