Here’s how much it will cost you to apply for Smart ID at these bank branches

Some of South Africa’s major banks have launched a partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), allowing people to apply for their Smart IDs in bank branches. Capitec and Standard Bank are the first banks in the country to go live with the system on Monday, while First National Bank (FNB) is still piloting it. “This initiative represents a major step change in the Department’s ongoing reform programme, Home Affairs @ home, which embraces digital transformation to remake how South Africans access identity and civic services,” the department said.

Capitec has launched seven ‘Smart ID’ branches across five provinces and six more branches, including one extra province, by the end of the week. “Following a successful piloting phase, the service is now live in select branches, marking the beginning of a phased national rollout that will expand to 100 locations by mid-2026,” said Graham Lee, Group Chief Executive Officer of Capitec. Applying for the smart ID at a Capitec branch will cost its customers R10 extra, bringing the total to R150. According to DHA, Capitec has opened the smart ID branches at the following locations: