South Africa Expands bank-based Smart ID Services

South Africa is expanding access to Smart ID services through banks as the government moves to modernise its national identity system and reduce reliance on the old green ID book. Standard Bank Group has joined the rollout by adding four branches—Maponya Mall, Rosebank, Westgate, and Parow—to the programme that allows customers to process identity services at bank outlets instead of visiting Home Affairs offices.

The initiative forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ New Bank Expansion and Digitisation Project, which connects banks directly to the government’s systems through a secure Digital API Gateway. Through this system, citizens visiting participating branches can apply to convert their green ID books to Smart ID cards or replace lost, stolen, or damaged cards.

At the branches, trained bank staff assist customers during the process while biometric data is captured on site to complete the application. Standard Bank said customers will not be charged for the service during the launch phase.

The rollout reflects the government’s effort to improve access to identity services while strengthening the integrity of the national identification system. Authorities have been encouraging citizens to transition from the older green barcoded ID book, which is considered more vulnerable to fraud, to the newer Smart ID card.

The banking partnership is expected to make identity services more convenient by bringing them closer to where people already conduct financial transactions.
In 2025, the Department of Home Affairs set a target of reaching 100 bank branches offering Smart ID services by the end of March 2026. Over the longer term, the government aims to expand the service to about 1,000 bank branches across the country.

Standard Bank’s expansion comes as other banks also increase their participation in the programme. Capitec recently launched seven new Smart ID service branches, while First National Bank (FNB) has indicated that it can support the service in more than 240 branches over the next year.

The growing involvement of banks is therefore expected to play an important role in helping the Department of Home Affairs meet its target of expanding Smart ID services and accelerating the country’s shift to a fully digital identity system.