FNB and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) plan to expand Smart ID and passport services to 240 FNB branches nationwide by December 2026, accelerating the rollout of digital identity services across South Africa.
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The expansion builds on a partnership that has processed more than 570,000 Smart IDs and passports through participating FNB branches since the service launched in 2015.
The latest phase of the rollout enables customers to apply for the replacement of green barcoded ID books with Smart ID cards, as well as request replacements for lost or stolen Smart IDs, through participating FNB branches.
Since the new digital model was introduced earlier this year, FNB has issued more than 14,000 Smart ID cards, with the service now available at more than 51 branches across all nine provinces.
FNB CEO Lytania Johnson said the partnership aims to make access to essential government services more seamless and accessible by using the bank's branch network.
She said the next phase of the rollout will extend access to more communities while strengthening the long-term collaboration between the bank and the Department of Home Affairs.
According to Zibu Nqala, CEO of Retail and Business Banking Distribution at FNB, integrating Home Affairs services into bank branches has helped reduce waiting times and improved convenience for customers by bringing services closer to where they live and work.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the expansion forms part of the department's Home Affairs @ home reform programme.
He said more than half a million South Africans have replaced their green barcoded ID books through the banking sector partnership in less than five months, adding that each Smart ID issued reduces reliance on older, fraud-prone identity documents.
Customers continue to pay the standard R140 Home Affairs application fee, with no additional convenience or service charges.
FNB said it intends to further expand the digital service through additional branches and deeper integration with the Department of Home Affairs as part of ongoing efforts to improve access to government services.
