Government sets the record straight on Smart ID bank programme
The South African government has moved to dispel suggestions that the Department of Home Affairs' collaboration with banking institutions for Smart ID card applications is a recent development driven by partisan interests. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Government Communication and Information System made clear that the initiative has been in place for nearly a decade.
According to the clarification, the multi-channel access model — which enables citizens to apply for Smart ID cards at participating bank branches — was first conceived in 2015 during the tenure of then Home Affairs Minister Dr Malusi Gigaba. The programme was designed as part of a wider government strategy to modernise the national identification system and bring services closer to communities.
"The Smart ID digitisation programme was initiated in 2015 under the then Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Malusi Gigaba, as part of government's broader efforts to modernise the national identification system and enhance service delivery."
The Department of Home Affairs officially launched its live operational phase on Sunday, enabling South Africans to walk into selected bank branches and complete a secure Smart ID application within minutes. The digital system connects banks directly to the department's infrastructure through a secure gateway, allowing applications to be processed in five to ten minutes without paperwork or prior appointments.
Expanding access beyond traditional Home Affairs offices
Rather than requiring citizens to travel considerable distances to one of just 349 Home Affairs offices nationwide, the programme brings identity document services to bank branches embedded within local communities. The initiative is governed by formal Memoranda of Understanding between the department and each participating bank, while security is underpinned by the ABIS biometric database, which prevents fraudulent photo substitutions at branch level.
"At the time of its launch, the partnership included ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank and Investec. Discovery Bank joined in 2019 under the then Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Siyabonga Cwele."
Before Capitec's recent addition to the programme, 30 bank branches were already processing Smart ID applications. These were distributed across Gauteng with 17 branches, the Western Cape with five, KwaZulu-Natal with three, the Eastern Cape with two, and one each in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Northern Cape.
The government expressed its support for Capitec's decision to join the initiative under current Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber. It also welcomed the technological upgrades undertaken by existing partners such as Standard Bank and FNB, which have enabled the programme to advance to the point where full applications can now be completed at branch level. The collaboration with the banking sector remains central to the government's goal of making digital identity services widely accessible to all South Africans through trusted, convenient channels staffed by trained bank personnel.
South Africans stand to benefit significantly from the expanded Smart ID bank partnership, as it addresses long-standing frustrations with overcrowded Home Affairs offices and lengthy wait times. With Capitec now joining major banks in offering applications, millions more citizens gain convenient access to identity documents through branches in their communities. If the programme continues scaling across all provinces, it could dramatically reduce the country's identity document backlog and boost financial inclusion efforts nationwide.
