HOME AFFAIRS EXPANDS DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP AS ABSA GOES LIVE WITH SMART ID APPLICATIONS
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PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced a major expansion of its Digital Partnership Model, with Absa officially going live with digital Smart ID applications.
With Absa integrated into the platform, South Africans can now access secure Smart ID services through a growing network of 296 participating bank branches nationwide.
Phased Rollout and Mobile Expansion
The partnership introduces immediate processing capabilities alongside aggressive targets for the remainder of the year:
Immediate Branch Activation: 12 select Absa branches have been fully enabled to provide walk-in Home Affairs Smart ID services.
Rapid Expansion: A further 60 Absa branches are scheduled to go live before the end of 2026.
"Bank on the Move" Initiative: To reach underserved and remote areas, Absa will introduce an innovative mobile service component designed to bring secure Home Affairs services directly into local communities.
Full operational details of this mobile rollout will be shared during an upcoming official event.
Phasing Out the Green Barcoded ID Book
The partnership model aims to accelerate national security efforts by completely replacing South Africa’s highly vulnerable, fraud-prone legacy green barcoded ID books with far more secure Smart ID Cards.
Public demand for these digitized banking channels is scaling rapidly:
385,000+ Smart ID applications have already been successfully processed through the banking digital network within its first four months of operation.
750 participating bank branches are targeted for system integration across all provinces by the close of 2026 under the broader Home Affairs @ home reform programme.
Ministerial Perspective: "The rapid expansion of our Digital Partnership with the banking sector demonstrates the success of our vision to fundamentally transform Home Affairs service delivery through digital innovation," said Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber.
"Processing more than 385,000 applications in just four months proves that South Africans are embracing a faster, more secure, and more dignified way of accessing state services closer to where they live and work."
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