SA Banks Expand Digital Home Affairs Services for ID and Passport Renewals

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africans can now renew IDs and passports at major banks instead of Home Affairs offices, with TymeBank and Discovery Bank joining the expanded ‘Home Affairs @ Home’ initiative.

TymeBank, which has no physical branches, will offer services through Pick n Pay, Boxer, and TFG stores. Discovery Bank allows renewals entirely through its mobile app.

The Department of Home Affairs’ online renewal system first launched in 2026 but struggled with technical issues. According to the article, frustrated by client complaints about poor service, several participating banks sought to distance themselves from the DHA.

Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber stated: “South Africa is a leader in digital financial services. And it is high time that we leverage this knowledge to improve the state’s ability to deliver basic services.”

Participating banks now include: ABSA, African Bank, Capitec, FNB, Discovery Bank, Investec, Nedbank, Standard Bank and TymeBank.

The initiative will launch via pilot sites before expanding to 1,000 bank branches by 2029. TymeBank brings additional reach through 1,400 retail kiosks used monthly at partner stores.

Dr. Schreiber said this digital shift will create “an inclusionary and seamless service” while reinforcing “data security and system integrity, ensuring that you can renew your SA ID and passport with the highest levels of protection and reliability.”

Editor’s note: the original article listed Capitec as ‘Captiec’; we have corrected the spelling to Capitec.