Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Department of Home Affairs (DHA), First National Bank (FNB) and Standard Bank have launched a new partnership that will enable South Africans to apply for their smart card IDs and passports at the banks and at a later state on mobile applications. FNB will be taking a phased approach to the rollout of these services. The bank is committing to rolling out 15 branches immediately, 240 branches over the next year, and more announcements to follow as the project plan unfolds.
Similarly, Standard Bank will be adopting a phased approach, with 20 branches going live this year and 300 over the next year with more to come by 2027. Both banks will avail these services to all South Africans, including those who are not clients. This partnership was launched on Wednesday.
“I am delighted that FNB and Standard Bank are the latest banks to partner with Home Affairs to expand the offering of our services across the entire country. This new digital partnership model that harnesses the power of technology, will dramatically increase Home Affairs’ footprint and thereby bring us closer than ever before to delivering our vision of Home Affairs at home. I am grateful to them for committing to demonstrate how we can resolve long-standing problems when we work together,” Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said.
CEO of FNB Public Sector Banking, Sipho Silinda, welcomed the partnership with the department that spans over a decade. “We have always believed that financial inclusion is directly linked to safe and secure documentation, and we are delighted to take our partnership with the DHA to the next level, by scaling our solution with more branches and reissuing via our App.
“We commend the Minister and his department for the vision they have shown and look forward to continuing to serve South Africans with professionalism and simplicity,” Silinda said. Standard Bank Personal and Private Banking CEO, Funeka Montjane, the bank is proud to be part of this forward-thinking collaboration that will save clients time and make it easier to access essential identity services.
