Apply for a Smart ID in 8 minutes
Standard Bank said customers spent less than eight minutes on average completing their smart ID applications in branches offering the service.
The statistic came with the bank’s announcement that it had added 50 new bank-assisted smart ID processing branches through its partnership with the Department of Home Affairs.
Standard Bank said it had met its target of opening the additional branches by the end of April 2026.
Standard Bank’s head of personal and private banking, Kabelo Makeke, said the milestone showed the value of stronger collaboration between government and business.
“We committed to adding 50 new branches offering the Smart ID service by the end of April, and we have delivered on that promise,” Makeke said.
Since expanding its smart ID branch network, Standard Bank said it had increased processing capacity and improved access for its clients.
The bank had completed 5,272 applications through the new branches, with more than half of the smart ID cards already collected.
It added that the average turnaround time for clients to receive their smart ID cards was around two weeks from application.
“We are now processing multiples of the number of applications compared to just a year ago,” Makeke said.
“But our branches are managing these volumes efficiently, demonstrating how our trusted infrastructure can support secure, broader economic activity.”
Standard Bank said only its own clients could use the service for the time being to ensure stability while it scaled it across its branch network.
However, it planned to broaden access in future, particularly in high-demand areas where Home Affairs capacity remained constrained.
Standard Bank said it now aimed to grow its smart ID processing network to 112 branches by the end of 2026.
The expansion forms part of Home Affairs’ digital partnership with nine major banks to increase access to the department’s services.
The digital partnership agreements were signed in August and September 2025, when Home Affairs set a target of 100 new locations by the end of March 2026.
Although the department and its partner banks missed that target, they made substantial progress and passed 100 new smart ID branches early in April.
Most participating banks had planned to launch their first new branches before the end of March 2026.
Aside from Capitec, only Standard Bank met that deadline, while FNB launched its first new smart ID branches on 1 April.
Standard Bank smart ID and eHomeAffairs branches
As of 6 May 2026, the Standard Bank branches supporting smart ID applications were as follows. eHomeAffairs branches require making a booking, but also support passport renewals.
Gauteng (22)
- Killarney Mall, Johannesburg (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- Simmonds Street, Johannesburg (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- Centurion Lifestyle, City of Tshwane (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- Jubilee Mall, City of Tshwane (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- Westgate Mall, Roodepoort, Johannesburg
- Boksburg, Gauteng
- Carletonville, Gauteng
- Central City, Gauteng
- Golden Walk, Gauteng
- Greenstone, Gauteng
- Heidelberg, Gauteng
- Jabulani, Gauteng
- Key West, Gauteng
- Lenasia, Gauteng
- Lynnwood The Grove, Gauteng
- Mamelodi Crossing, Gauteng
- Maponya Mall, Gauteng
- Rosebank, Gauteng
- Sanridge, Gauteng
- Sky City, Gauteng
- Soshanguve Mall, Gauteng
- Tshwane Mid City, Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal (11)
- 1 Kingsmead Way, Durban (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- Bridge City, KwaZulu-Natal
- Chatsworth Centre, KwaZulu-Natal
- Matatiele, KwaZulu-Natal
- Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal
- Newcastle Mall, KwaZulu-Natal
- South Coast Mall, KwaZulu-Natal
- Umhlatuze, KwaZulu-Natal
- Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal
- Westown Square, Shongweni, Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal
- Westville, KwaZulu-Natal
Western Cape (7)
- Branch in Canal Walk in Century City, Cape Town (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- CapeGate Shopping Centre, Cape Town
- Helderberg, Western Cape
- Khayelitsha, Cape Town
- Paarl, Western Cape
- Parow Centre, Cape Town
- Vredenburg, Western Cape
Mpumalanga (4)
- Kwagga Plaza Shopping Centre, Mpumalanga
- Nelspruit Crossing Shopping Centre, Mpumalanga
- Secunda, Mpumalanga
- Witbank, Mpumalanga
Eastern Cape (3)
- 1 Pickering Street, Newton Park, Gqeberha (Old eHomeAffairs system)
- East London, Eastern Cape
- Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape
Limpopo (3)
- Burgersfort, Limpopo
- Modimolle, Limpopo
- Tzaneen, Limpopo
North West (3)
- Klerksdorp, North West
- Lichtenburg, North West
- Vryburg, North West
Free State (2)
- Bloemfontein, Free State
- Phuthaditjhaba, Free State
Northern Cape (1)
- Kimberley, Northern Cape
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