Absa and the Department of Home Affairs have launched a mobile Smart ID unit aimed at improving access to identity document services in remote, peri-urban and underserved communities.
The initiative forms part of an expanded partnership between the bank and the Department of Home Affairs to make Smart ID services more widely available across the country.
The department recently restructured its partnerships with banks, giving financial institutions greater responsibility for delivering Home Affairs services and removing the need for Home Affairs officials to be permanently stationed at participating branches.
The new model has significantly expanded the availability of Smart ID services, with the number of participating bank branches increasing from around 30 at the beginning of the year to more than 250.
Absa's newly launched mobile unit will take selected Home Affairs services directly to communities with limited access to government offices. The service will complement the rollout of Home Affairs facilities at additional Absa branches and new features on the Absa Banking App, where customers can book appointments and track their applications.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said limited access to Smart ID services has long delayed the replacement of the older green barcoded identity book.
He said the department's digital partnership with the banking sector has expanded the Home Affairs Smart ID service footprint from 214 locations to 541 in just four and a half months.
Schreiber added that the partnership aims to extend the service to around 750 bank branches by the end of the year. He described the launch of the first bank-based Home Affairs mobile unit as a major milestone in bringing identity services closer to where South Africans live, work and bank.
Absa Group Chief Executive Officer Kenny Fihla said the partnership demonstrates how collaboration between government and the private sector can improve access to essential public services while maintaining high standards of security, governance and customer service.
Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, Chief Executive for Personal and Private Banking Pan-Africa at Absa Group, said the initiative is designed to better meet customers' needs by combining the bank's branch network, mobile capabilities and digital platforms to bring identity services closer to communities.
The partnership also introduces a digitally integrated service model that allows eligible customers to access selected Home Affairs services through participating Absa branches and the Absa Banking App. The system is powered by the Department of Home Affairs' secure Digital API Gateway, which links customers directly to Home Affairs systems through participating banks.
As part of the rollout, Absa opened 12 additional branches offering Smart ID renewal services from 20 July 2026 and plans to add a further 60 branches before the end of the year.
In the next phase of the programme, eligible customers will also be able to replace lost, stolen or damaged Smart ID cards and update their cards following changes in marital status.
Absa branches already providing passport and Home Affairs services will continue operating as normal.