Many of South Africa’s popular banks plan to extend the number of branches where customers can get their smart ID cards or passports, and avoid the chaotic Home Affairs process.
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in a parliamentary meeting last year, that the Department of Home Affairs’ partnership with banks is planned to extend to 70 branches.
The department is set to roll out its expansion from 1 July 2022.
First National Bank and Standard Bank make up the majority of home affairs supported bank branches while Capitec currently does not offer the service.
Applicants who wish to use their personal bank are required to register on the E-Home Affairs system, book an appointment and then visit the bank to make payment and collect the important documents.
The Department of Home Affairs also plans to expand its own E-services in the next few months to alleviate long queues and reduce strain on the department. The new system allows for clients to make a booking and visit the office on the date and time of the appointment without having to queue.
According to the Department of Home Affairs Annual Report for 2020/2021, the department continues to face common challenges, namely, unstable and uninterruptable network infrastructure, long queues, insufficient and poor office accommodation, and capacity constraints.
Bank branches
The below-mentioned branches do not allow for walk-ins; you can only visit a branch once you have made an online application and booked your visit:
Absa
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Absa Centurion Lifestyle Centre | Centurion, Gauteng | Centurion Lifestyle Centre, c/o Old Johannesburg Road & Lenchen Ave |
| Absa Sandton City | Sandton, Gauteng | c/o Rivonia Road & 5th Street, Sandton |
| Absa Towers | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 160 Main Street, Johannesburg |
| Absa Port Elizabeth | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape | Greenacres Shopping Centre, 1 Ring Rd |
| Absa Key West | Krugersdorp, Gauteng | Shop 80, Key West Shopping Centre, c/o Paardekraal Drive & Viljoen Street |
Discovery
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Bank Sandton | Sandton, Johannesburg | 1 Discovery Place, c/o Rivonia Road & Katherine Street, Sandton |
FNB
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| FNB Burgersfort | Burgersfort, Limpopo | Shop 55 Twin City Complex, Dirk Winterbach Street |
| FNB Centurion Lifestyle | Centurion, Gauteng | Centurion Lifestyle Centre, c/o Old Johannesburg Road & Lenchen Ave |
| FNB Lynnwood | Pretoria, Gauteng | Shop 4, upper level, Cnr Simon Vermooten & Lynnwood Road, Equestria |
| FNB Merchant Place | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 4 Merchant Place, Cnr Rivonia Road & Fredman Drive |
| FNB Portside | Cape Town, Western Cape | 5 Buitengracht St, Portside Building |
| FNB The Glen | Johannesburg, Gauteng | Shop U2, The Glen Shopping Centre, Glenvista, Johannesburg |
| FNB Cornubia | Durban, KZN | Shop u56, Cornubia Boulevard |
Investec
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Investec Bank Sandton | Sandton, Johannesburg | 100 Grayston Drive, Sandown |
Nedbank
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Nedbank Arcadia | Pretoria, Gauteng | c/o Steve Biko & Madiba Street |
| Nedbank Sandown | Sandton, Gauteng | Shop L05 Block I Lower Ground, c/o Rivonia Rd & Maude St |
| Nedbank Constantia Kloof | Roodepoort, Gauteng | 18 Constantia Boulevard, Constantia Kloof |
| Nedbank St George’s Mall | Cape Town, Western Cape | St Georges Mall, Cape Town |
| Nedbank Nelspruit Crossing | Mbombela, Mpumalanga | Shop 65 The Crossing Shopping Centre, c/o Madiba & Samora Machel Drives, Nelspruit |
Standard Bank
| Branch | City | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Bank Centurion | Pretoria, Gauteng | c/o Hendrik Verwoerd & South Street |
| Standard Bank Killarney Mall | Johannesburg, Gauteng | Killarney Mall, 60 Riviera Road, Houghton |
| Standard Bank Simmonds Street | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 5 Simmonds Street |
| Standard Bank Canal Walk | Cape Town, Western Cape | Shop 599 Upper Level, Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Century City |
| Standard Bank Jubilee Mall | Hammanskraal, Gauteng | Shop 47 Jubilee Mall, c/o Jubilee Road D154 and Harry Gwala Road D2757 |
| Standard Bank Kingsmead | Durban, KZN | Standard Bank Centre, 1 Kingsmead Way, Stamford Hill |
| Standard Bank Newton Park | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape | 1 Pickering Street, Newton Park |
| Standard Bank Promenade Mall | Cape Town, Western Cape | Road Shop 73-75 Promenade Mall Beacon Valley, c/o AZ Berman Road & Morgenster Road |
The process
According to Standard Bank, the partnership with the Department of Home Affairs allows you to have an appointment, collect and pay for your Smart ID or passport at the bank branch of your choice however, you are still required to visit the Department of Home Affairs website in order to begin the process.
Standard Bank as well as FNB outline similar steps that you need to take to use E-Home Affairs efficiently:
Register and pay
- Visit the Department of Home Affairs website
- Select ‘eChannel’
- Complete the registration process and enter your account details
- Login to your Online Banking profile
- Approve payment by selecting ‘Pay’, then ‘eFiling.’
Choose a branch and book your appointment
- Login to your eChannel profile
- Select a branch
- Select a time and date for your appointment
- Print the confirmation page
Visit the branch
- Visit the branch of your choice at the date and time you have selected
- Bring your green ID book (or police affidavit in case of lost/stolen ID) when you visit the branch
What to remember
- Photos will be taken at the branch
- You will receive an SMS to notify you once the Smart-ID is ready for collection
- Bring your green ID book along when you collect the Smart-ID
For more information, please see the Department of Home Affairs.
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