The Home Affairs bank branch pilot has been extended.
South Africa’s big banks say they are continuing to work with the Department of Home Affairs on expanding the latter’s services to more bank branches, with several locations earmarked for this year.
Through the branches, South Africans are able to apply for, process and collect Smart IDs and passports, skipping the long queues and strained services levels that are often experienced at standard Home Affairs branches. Lee-Anne van Zyl, CEO of FNB Points of Presence, said that the bank has identified several branches across the country to potentially scale the service, pending further consultations with the Department.
Nedbank said that clients are currently able to apply for an ID document at Nedbank branches that represent the DHA – but it anticipates that, once finalised, In the meantime, the department is also expanding its branch network to stand-alone offices at malls across the country, with a branch at Menlyn Mall opening in March 2023, and other malls planned to roll out in the coming months.Why the delays?