African Bank Partners with Home Affairs to Simplify Smart ID Access
African Bank has joined forces with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in a move designed to bring Smart ID card applications closer to citizens. The initiative will allow clients to apply for their Smart ID cards at selected African Bank branches nationwide, reducing the need for long travel and time away from work.
The rollout, which will be phased, aims to cover more than 100 branches over the next year. The first pilot site is scheduled to open by March 2026.
Speaking on the partnership, Sibongiseni Ngundze, CEO of Personal Banking at African Bank, said: “This partnership is about meeting people where they are, making essential services easier to access, and embedding them in the heart of our communities. Too often, citizens face long distances, costs, and disruption to their daily lives just to manage important civic matters. By integrating these services into our network, we are helping people live more simply and securely.”
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the collaboration, noting that it adds significant capacity to government efforts to modernise service delivery. “I am delighted to welcome African Bank as the latest bank to partner with Home Affairs. This takes us another step closer to achieving our vision of delivering home affairs at home. I thank them for their bold commitment to bring 100 branches online in the next 12 months,” he said.
As part of the process, applicants will undergo biometric fingerprint verification to ensure security. Initially, Smart ID cards will be collected from the branch where the application was made, but customers will later have the option to choose an alternative collection point or even home delivery. Applicants will also receive SMS notifications at every stage, from submission to collection, to ensure full transparency.
Schreiber stressed the broader impact of the partnership: “This is about dignity and inclusion. Everyone deserves safe, easy access to the documents that unlock opportunity—whether that’s applying for a job, opening a bank account, or travelling abroad.”
