Good news for South Africans who need new smart ID cards

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that his department has achieved its target of expanding smart ID services to 753 bank branches across South Africa.

Schreiber said this target was achieved four months ahead of schedule and comes eight months after the department launched its new digital partnership with the banking sector.

In March 2026, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) launched this partnership as part of its Home Affairs @ Home initiative.

The partnership aimed to scale smart ID services to 750 bank branches nationwide by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

Now, eight months later, 753 bank branches across the country offer smart ID services, and one million South Africans have used them.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, 11 November, Schreiber said that, at the start of the current administration, 214 Home Affairs offices nationwide were equipped to process smart ID applications. 

He said the addition of 753 participating bank branches over the past eight months has expanded the Department’s Smart ID footprint to 967 locations.

This represents a 350% increase over 246 days, which Schreiber described as the fastest service expansion in South African history. 

Participating banks currently include Absa, Capitec, FNB, and Standard Bank. Schreiber said more banks and services are set to be added to the project shortly.

“This dramatic expansion in access across all communities also supports the department’s roadmap to phase out the fraud-prone green ID book,” he said.

Schreiber explained that the outdated green ID book serves as a key pull factor for illegal immigration and identity theft.

The green ID book is slowly being phased out in favour of the more secure smart ID Card, which the minister said will strengthen the security and integrity of South Africa’s ID system.

“Eight months ago, we set ourselves what many regarded as an extremely ambitious target of delivering Smart ID services to 750 bank branches by the end of March 2027,” Schreiber said. 

“Today, we have not only achieved that target – but exceeded it with more than four months to spare.” 

“We can now say with confidence that the days of standing in a long queue just to apply for a replacement smart ID are fast coming to an end.”