Standard Bank has confirmed the phased rollout of Smart ID application and renewal services at select branches reinforcing its decade long partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and its commitment to improving access to essential public services for South Africans.
The service will begin at Standard Bank’s Rosebank, Maponya Mall and Westgate branches before scaling across the country. During the launch phase, Standard Bank clients will not be charged any convenience or logistics fees, payingonly the standard Department of Home Affairs application fee of R140.
“Access to identity documents is foundational to participation in the economy,” said Marius Le Roux, Head of Fraud Operations, Client Experience and Risk Execution at Standard Bank. “Our focus is on removing friction for clients, not adding to it. That is why, during our launch phase, customers will pay only the Home Affairs fee, while we work closely with the department to scale a reliable, technology-enabled service across our branch network.”
Standard Bank has been a participant in the Home Affairs bank partnership model since its inception in 2016. The current rollout forms part of the department’s digital partnership model, which connects bank branch infrastructure directly to Home Affairs’ backend systems, enabling faster, more reliable processing without duplicating state resources in branches.
The in-branch service allows clients to apply for or renew Smart ID cards, complete payment, and collect their IDs at the same branch, reducing queues and travel time. A digital-enabled application journey is planned for introduction, further enhancing accessibility for clients.
No additional fees will apply during the initial launch period, as the bank focuses on testing, refining and responsibly scaling the service.
“Our approach with the DHA prioritises service reliability, client experience and national scale, ensuring that when we expand, we do so in a way that genuinely delivers value to South Africans across urban, township and rural communities,” Le Roux added.
The Department of Home Affairs has set a target of expanding Smart ID services to more than 1,000 bank branches nationally by 2029, marking a decisive shift towards digital-first public service delivery. Standard Bank remains a committed partner in supporting this national objective.
Further details on branch availability and the broader rollout will be communicated in the coming weeks.
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