South Africans to Access Home Affairs Services at 100 New Bank Branches by 2026
In a step toward digitising civic services, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is expanding its presence at local banks to make Smart ID and passport applications more accessible. By the 2025/26 financial year, 100 new bank branches will be equipped with live capture systems, drastically increasing the current availability from just 30 locations nationwide.
This strategic rollout aims to fast-track the adoption of Smart IDs across the country while reducing queues at traditional DHA offices.
A Milestone Move Towards Digital Identity
The expansion is part of the DHA’s broader strategic plan extending to 2030, targeting a total of 1,000 bank branches with Smart ID and passport services by 2028. The initiative will begin in Q3 of the 2025/26 financial year, with 40 new branches launching between October and December 2025, followed by 60 more between January and March 2026.
How the System Works
Through the DHA’s eHomeAffairs platform, South Africans can apply online, upload their details, and make payments. They then visit a participating bank to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and photographs. The new model envisions a fully digital process, including facial recognition and document delivery—though biometric capture at bank branches remains essential.
Current Reach and Future Vision
Until now, only 30 bank branches in South Africa have been offering these services as part of a lengthy pilot programme that began in 2015. However, with over 3,300 branches between the major banks, the new target of 1,000 locations represents a 40% coverage rate. Capitec Bank, with 866 branches, has not yet joined the programme.
Bank Network Coverage (FY2024):
| Bank | Branch Count |
|---|---|
| Capitec | 866 |
| Standard Bank | 652 |
| FirstRand (FNB) | 623 |
| Absa | 618 |
| Nedbank | 547 |
| Total | 3,306 |
30 Bank Branches Currently Offering DHA Services
| Bank | Branch | Address | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Bank (9) | Canal Walk | Shop 599, Upper Level, Canal Walk Shopping Center, Century City | 021 529 8216 |
| Centurion | Cnr Lenchen and Old Johannesburg Rd, Centurion Lifestyle Centre | 012 671 4042 | |
| Jubilee Mall | Shop 47, Jubilee Mall, Temba Hammanskraal | 011 351 7814 | |
| Kathu Mall | Shop 62 Village Walk, Hendrik Van Eck Street | 053 723 9610 | |
| Killarney Mall | Riviera Rd, Killarney, Johannesburg | 011 486 0002 | |
| Kingsmead | 1 Kingsmead Way, Durban | 031 308 7900 | |
| Mitchell’s Plain | AZ Berman & Morgenster Rd, Mitchell’s Plain | 0860 123 000 | |
| Newton Park | 1 Pickering St, Port Elizabeth | 041 404 8319 | |
| Simmonds Street | 5 Simmonds St, Selby, Johannesburg | 011 631 1624 | |
| FNB (7) | Burgersfort | Shop 55 Twin City Complex, Dirk Winterbach St | 072 457 8619 / 013 216 0098 |
| Centurion | Centurion Lifestyle Centre | 066 460 0530 | |
| Cornubia | Shop U56, Cornubia Boulevard, Durban | 031 308 7900 | |
| Glen Shopping Centre | Glenvista | 061 495 4441 | |
| Greenpoint | Somerset Road, Greenpoint | 087 345 6090 | |
| Lynwood | Cnr Simon Vermooten & Lynnwood Rd, Pretoria | 066 460 0130 | |
| Merchant Place | Rivonia and Freedman Dr, Sandton | 066 290 3307 | |
| Nedbank (6) | Arcadia | Beatrix Street, Arcadia | 066 460 0122 |
| Constantia Kloof | Constantia Boulevard, Roodepoort | 011 639 4208 | |
| Durban North | Adelaide Tambo Dr, Durban North | 0800 555 111 | |
| Nelspruit | Samora Machel and Madiba Drive | 081 336 5941 | |
| Rivonia | 135 Rivonia Road, Sandton | 066 290 3257 | |
| St George’s Mall | Riebeeck Street, Cape Town | 0800 555 111 | |
| Absa (6) | Centurion | Centurion Lifestyle Centre | 066 460 0356 |
| Key West Krugersdorp | Paardekraal Drive and Viljoen Street | 079 900 6457 | |
| Port Elizabeth | Cnr Bagshaw & Govan Mbeki Avenue | 041 404 8319 | |
| Sandton City | Cnr Rivonia Road and 5th Street | 066 290 3314 | |
| Stellenbosch | Cnr Plein And Ryneveld Streets | 021 809 2311 | |
| Absa Towers | Cnr Commissioner And Troye Streets, Johannesburg | 011 350 4111 | |
| Discovery Bank (1) | Discovery Place | Rivonia Road and Katherine Street, Sandton | 0860 998 877 |
| Investec (1) | Investec Bank Sandown | 100 Grayston Dr, Sandton | 011 286 7000 |
Looking Ahead
With agreements reportedly finalised between the DHA and the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), integration work will begin over the next three months. By October 2025, the public can expect an initial wave of 40 new branches, followed by an additional 60 by March 2026.
This modernisation of civic services not only brings convenience but also helps decentralise Home Affairs functions, reducing congestion and delays across the country.
Also read: Goodbye Passports and Boarding Passes: South Africa Set to Embrace Digital Travel Credentials
