Capitec now offers Smart ID services at 127 branches nationwide
· The South African
Capitec has significantly expanded its Smart ID application service, adding 49 more participating branches in less than two weeks as the Department of Home Affairs accelerates its partnership with South African banks.
The latest expansion brings the total number of Capitec branches offering Smart ID applications to 127 nationwide, making it the largest banking partner in the programme by a considerable margin.
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The rollout follows Home Affairs’ recent announcement that Smart ID services are now available at more than 200 bank branches across the country, a dramatic increase aimed at reducing queues at government offices and making identity services more accessible.
Capitec extends its lead
When Home Affairs announced the latest phase of its digital banking partnership in June, Capitec offered Smart ID applications at 109 branches.
Since then, the bank has quietly expanded the service to an additional 49 branches, according to its latest branch listings, taking its national total to 127.
Capitec now has participating branches in every province, with the largest concentration in:
ProvinceSmart ID-enabled Capitec branchesGauteng38KwaZulu-Natal24Western Cape21Eastern Cape12Limpopo10Mpumalanga8North West7Free State5Northern Cape2The wide geographical spread is intended to make Smart ID services accessible to more South Africans without requiring a visit to a Home Affairs office.
Home Affairs’ biggest banking partner
The latest expansion means Capitec now has substantially more Smart ID-enabled branches than any other participating bank.
The current breakdown is:
- Capitec Bank – 127 branches
- Standard Bank – 74 branches
- First National Bank – 20 branches
Standard Bank also expanded its footprint recently, adding 16 new Smart ID branches to reach 74 nationwide.
Together, Capitec and Standard Bank now account for the overwhelming majority of bank branches offering the service.
The rapid rollout appears to be gaining momentum.
According to Home Affairs, more than 250 000 South Africans have already used bank-facilitated applications to obtain replacement Smart ID cards since the initiative launched in March.
Before the expansion, Smart ID replacement services were available at only 248 Home Affairs offices and 32 bank branches.
With more than 200 participating bank branches now operating nationwide, access to the service has increased by 73% in just a few months.
Home Affairs has also highlighted the speed of the new process, saying a fully biometric Smart ID application can now take as little as five minutes, with no paperwork or booking required.
Home Affairs also plans to expand Smart ID replacement services to 750 bank branches by the end of 2026.