Home Affairs teams up with banks to issue IDs and passports
South Africans will soon be able to apply for their smart card IDs and passports at selected bank branches, thanks to a new partnership between the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), First National Bank (FNB) and Standard Bank.
The collaboration, launched on Wednesday, will also allow applications via mobile banking apps at a later stage.
Both banks will make the service available to all South Africans, regardless of whether they are customers.
Phased national rollout
ALSO READ: Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza visits Germiston Home Affairs office after fire
FNB has committed to an immediate rollout at 15 branches, expanding to 240 branches over the next year, with additional branches to follow as the project progresses.
Standard Bank will launch the service in 20 branches this year and reach 300 branches by 2027.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the move, describing it as a 'new digital partnership model' that uses technology to increase access to essential services.
'This will dramatically increase Home Affairs' footprint and bring us closer to delivering our vision of Home Affairs at home,' Schreiber said.
'I am grateful to the banks for showing how we can solve long-standing challenges through collaboration.'
ALSO READ: Home Affairs launches global centres to speed up passport services for expats
Banking leaders speak out
FNB Public Sector Banking CEO Sipho Silinda stated that the partnership, developed over more than a decade, will now be scaled up to reach a larger audience.
'Financial inclusion is linked to safe and secure documentation, and we are delighted to take our partnership with the DHA to the next level,' Silinda said.
Standard Bank personal and private banking CEO Funeka Montjane said the initiative was about convenience, 'We are proud to be part of this forward-thinking collaboration that will save clients time and make it easier to access essential identity services,' Montjane said.
The department will issue further announcements as the rollout continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
SA mining sector burnishes transformation credentials as battle looms over draft bill
The mining industry is arming itself with facts before what may be a long slog as it pushes for changes in the draft Mineral Resources Development Bill. South Africa's mining sector is digging in for lengthy talks with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy over the contentious draft Mineral Resources Development Bill (MRDP). The Minerals Council SA, the main umbrella group for the industry, maintains that the bill has many shortcomings that will discourage investment and job creation. The council lodged an extensive submission on the draft bill before the 13 August 2025 deadline. 'It is of fundamental importance for the Minerals Council that the bill creates certainty, predictability and a competitive regulatory environment, while eliminating ambiguity in what will become the act to ensure we build on the successes we have had to date,' the council said in a statement on Monday, 18 August 2025. At a media briefing, Mzila Mthenjane, the CEO of the Minerals Council, said the industry would be engaging with the department on the bill in what was expected to be a marathon rather than a sprint. 'We will not negotiate the bill in public… It will take time. It will be a lengthy process,' he said. 'We will take it one step at a time, but from the progress we have seen so far in submitting our detailed submission I think there's a possibility that we can avoid seeing ourselves in court.' Not negotiating in public means that the council is keeping its specific concerns under wraps for now, though when the bill was first flagged in May it did raise alarms over the failure to exclude BEE requirements for exploration. That has since been amended. 'The Minerals Council's overarching concern with the bill is that in its current form it does not encourage investment in the industry for growth. Its reliance on regulations that have yet to be published for public scrutiny make it impossible to fully engage the department in detail on key elements of the bill,' the council said. Like a miner without a headlamp, this means that the industry is groping in the dark. What this means for the industry Regulatory clarity is crucial for investment in the mining sector. Without investment, there is no mining and no transformation in the sector. A lengthy engagement where both sides display compromise would be the best outcome. Otherwise it will probably end up in court — and the regulator usually loses on that front. In a presentation, the council said key areas of broad focus and contention included transformation and empowerment — subjects that have long been bones of contention in post-apartheid South Africa. On that front, the Minerals Council produced a new factsheet to burnish its transformation credentials. Historically disadvantaged South Africans now have a 39% ownership stake in the mining sector, far above the 26% target. Much of this stems from pension funds. 'In 2023, a study on employment equity and human resource development showed women now make up 19% of the full-time workforce, with ongoing efforts to improve representation and safety,' the factsheet reads. 'Through Social and Labour Plans (SLPs), the mining sector invests more than R3-billion annually in community development — far exceeding the 1% Net Profit After Tax benchmark in other sectors — funding schools, roads, clinics, water and sanitation projects, and much more.' In the presentation, one chart showed that monthly per capita earnings for miners have soared about six-fold the past 20 years to more than R30,000.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Malema's call for Zimbabweans in SA to seek jobs in their country signals policy shift
EFF leader Julius Malema has called on Zimbabweans to seek employment in their own country, stressing that South Africans should be given first preference for municipal jobs and tenders. Image: X/@EFFSouthAfrica A Political analyst says Julius Malema's call for Zimbabweans in South Africa to seek employment in their home country signals a policy shift to align the EFF with the aspirations and interests of the majority of South Africans. Addressing supporters at an EFF rally in Seshego, Limpopo, over the weekend, Malema stressed that South Africans must be prioritised for job opportunities, particularly within local municipalities. Malema emphasised that while Zimbabweans are welcome in South Africa, it is unjust for locals to be sidelined in their communities. When we say we want jobs where we pay for services, we are not saying we don't want Zimbabweans. We are saying we should be given first preference before everyone else to get jobs,'' Malema said. 'We don't disagree that Zimbabweans should be given jobs, but they should be given jobs in their municipalities in Harare and other areas, so we have opportunities to get jobs in our municipalities.' Malema's remarks come amid ongoing controversy in the Polokwane Municipality, where Mayor John Mpe has been accused of awarding tenders to foreign-owned companies, including one allegedly linked to a Zimbabwean partner of municipal manager Thuso Nemugumoni. Mpe denied the allegations and defended the municipality's procurement processes, stating that there is nothing unlawful about awarding tenders to foreign-owned companies if they comply with the law. However, Malema insisted that government projects funded by taxpayers must benefit South Africans first. His comments take on greater significance against the backdrop of South Africa's staggering youth unemployment crisis. According to recent statistics, 62.4% of young people aged 15 to 24 are unemployed, with the broader youth unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 34 sitting at 46.1%. For the 25 to 34 age group, the unemployment rate is 40.4%. These figures, which have steadily worsened over the past decade, have raised alarms among economists and labour experts, who warn that the country is facing a generation excluded from economic participation. Malema said that it is unacceptable for South Africans to remain jobless while foreign nationals receive tenders and employment through municipal structures. He urged communities to resist and question such decisions and to demand accountability from local leaders. His latest comments signal a shift from his earlier stance on foreign nationals and open border policy. In 2022, Malema had defended the right of Zimbabweans to work in South Africa, while still calling for locals to be prioritised. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'We want Zimbabweans to work in SA. They should make no apologies about hiring Zimbabweans or any other African brother or sister. But they must be considerate that there are locals who must at all times be given preference,' he said at the time. In previous years, Malema has also spoken out against xenophobia and expressed support for Pan-African unity. During a Heritage Day address in 2022, he urged South Africans not to discriminate against Zimbabweans or other African migrants. 'We must never speak about heritage but refuse to want Zimbabweans or any person from another African country. You will see a Zimbabwean and see an African - this is my brother, this is my sister,' he said. He also encouraged Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa to participate in their country's democratic process, even offering buses to transport them home to vote. Malema went as far as urging Zimbabweans to vote out the ruling ZANU-PF party, which he accused of plunging the country into economic ruin. Kenneth Mokgatlhe, a political analyst and commentator, weighed in on the apparent EFF policy shift: ''Although this is not the first time Malema made similar remarks regarding the Zimbabwean question, this was the most direct address from him to them. In the past, he would tell them to go and vote to fix their situation,'' said Kenneth Mokgatlhe, a political analyst and commentator. ''He and his party had previously claimed that foreigners are not really 'stealing jobs' from South Africans. We now know from Shivambu that Malema did not engage his fellow executives on the immigration policy, which was responsible for their electoral decline in the past general elections. Mokgatlhe said that there were now more voices which many disgruntled South Africans are associating with against illegal immigration. ''For you to stay relevant and speak to the issues affecting the electorate, you have to tell them what they want to hear. ''He knows that he fumbled, but his ego won't let him come to the public and acknowledge weakness on his side. ''He would rather silently make a policy shift to align his party with the aspirations and interests of the majority of South Africans. The EFF will not afford to ignore or speak against its citizens because immigration is one of the immediate global challenges for most countries that are stable in the world,'' he concluded. Get your news on the go. Click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
Can SA's two transport giants share the road without blood spills
JOHANNESBURG - The murder of 27-year-old e-hailing driver Mthokozisi Mvelase in Soweto has once again highlighted the tension between South Africa's taxi industry and e-hailing services. Mvelase, who had just started in the new job, was shot outside Maponya Mall before his car was set alight, with him inside. This prompted protests, with many calling for taxi operations to be halted in Pimville. While his killing is being investigated, it has now raised a broader question: can e-hailing services and taxis co-exist in South Africa's transport system? Supplied Supplied Taxis's are the backbone of public transport For many South Africans, taxis remain the lifeline to work, schools, malls and government offices. From going to Home Affairs, to collecting SASSA grants and trips to the clinic. Theo Malele, spokesperson of the National Taxi Alliance cautions against stopping taxis from operating, saying ' it will create serious challenges for commuters.' Malele adds that while coexistence with e-hailing services is necessary, the industry faces problems of its own. 'E-hailing services are fragmented. There is a power struggle within the industry, and they need to sort themselves out,' he argues. Malele suggests that stronger regulation and law enforcement could create stability. "Currently they can travel anywhere and any how while taxi's are confined to a specific geographic network which is where they have to operate should they go beyond they would have transgressed. This needs to be addressed.' E-Hailing drivers daily struggle The e-hailing association has admitted to facing their own obstacles. Chairperson of the Western Cape e-hailing association Siyabonga Hlabisa, says taxi marshals restrict them from working in certain areas, while sometimes taxi drivers impound cars and charge fines of up to R1,000 for their release. He argues that taxi associations believe they rule the industry and this needs to be addressed. He says they do not view taxi operations as a treat nor should they be viewed as such as both operate in their own way. Overall these tensions are more than just a business dispute, they affect everyday commuters. Social media claims that the South African National Taxi Council has ordered motorists not to carry more than one passenger in private cars, but the council has denied this.
