More banks to extend passport and smart ID services

Leading banks in South Africa plan to expand passport and smart ID services to additional branches, pending approval from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Absa, FNB, and Nedbank have prepared plans for expansion and stand ready to activate 12 additional sites.

Current passport and smart ID pilot phase and future expansion

Since 2016, 30 bank branches across South Africa have offered Home Affairs services through a pilot project. This initiative tested public-private partnerships (PPP) with major banks, but the pilot phase has been extended several times.

MyBroadband reported, FNB’s head of external communications and PR, Sizwekazi Mdingi, revealed that the deadline for the pilot project has been extended to September 2024.

“We are currently in a pilot phase with the Department of Home Affairs, aiming to expand the service to further branches soon,” Mdingi stated.

“The memorandum of understanding (MOU) has recently been extended, and we hope to move into the next phase of the partnership by the end of September.”

Banks poised for activation

MyBroadband added, Absa, FNB, and Nedbank are keen to roll out these services to more locations.

With banks having prepared additional branches for activation, they await DHA’s go-ahead to implement the expansion fully.

Current availability and distribution

As previously reported by The South African, currently, the distribution of passport and smart ID services across provinces is as follows:

Gauteng:

• Absa Centurion Lifestyle Centre
• Absa Sandton City
• Discovery Bank Head Office
• FNB Centurion Lifestyle Centre
• Standard Bank Killarney Mall
• FNB Glen Shopping Centre
• FNB Lynnwoo
• Standard Bank Jubilee Mall
• FNB Merchant Place
• Nedbank Constantia Kloof
• Absa Key West Krugersdorp
• Investec Bank Sandown
• Nedbank Arcadia
• Nedbank Rivonia
• Standard Bank Centurion Lifestyle Centre
• Standard Bank Simmonds Street

Western Cape:

• Absa Stellenbosch
• Absa Towers
• FNB Greenpoint
• Nedbank St George’s Mall
• Standard Bank Canal Walk
• Standard Bank Mitchell’s Plain Promenade

KwaZulu-Natal:

• FNB Cornubia
• Nedbank Durban North
• Standard Bank Kingsmead

Eastern Cape:

• Absa Port Elizabeth
• Standard Bank Newton Park

Mpumalanga:

• Nedbank Nelspruit

Limpopo:

• FNB Burgersfort

Northern Cape:

• Standard Bank Kathu Mall

These branches are part of a protracted pilot phase, yet they illustrate the banks’ commitment to enhancing public access to passport and smart ID services.