Charles Esther
According to Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber, the pilot programme faced major challenges.
It required the costly duplication of Home Affairs staff and equipment inside bank branches, and the system often failed.
The ‘Home Affairs@Home’ Strategy
The latest plan aims to make ID renewals more accessible by enabling the service in 1 000 bank branches nationwide.
This “Home Affairs@Home” strategy will especially benefit rural areas, where bank branches are already in place.
First Banks to Join the Digital Model
Capitec and FNB are the first banks to sign up for the new system.
The rollout will gradually extend Smart ID and passport services to more locations across the country.
Wider Bank Participation Invited
Other banks invited to join include ABSA, African Bank, Discovery Bank, and Standard Bank.
Currently, only 30 bank branches in South Africa offer ID and passport renewal services.
Powered by Digital Live Capture
The expansion will rely on a new digital live capture system designed to speed up the renewal process.
Minister Schreiber urged all banks to come on board to help deliver these services.
End of Home Affairs Queues?
Minister Schreiber described the move as the “beginning of the end” for long queues at Home Affairs.
He said it represents the start of a digital-first era in public service delivery.
David Awoyode