The Department of Home Affairs and Capitec have launched South Africa’s first self-service terminals, letting citizens apply for ID documents directly at Capitec branches.
The service is now operational at selected Capitec branches, marking the start of a phased national rollout that will expand to 100 locations by mid-2026.
Capitec clients can now apply for a Smart ID using self-service terminals inside selected branches.
No booking is needed.
The process is paperless and takes just under five minutes, and connects directly to Home Affairs systems.
Once the ID is ready, clients receive a notification and can collect it from the branch.
Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber described the move as a major milestone in modernising public services, saying, “this partnership with Capitec marks a historic step in transforming how South Africans access their identity documents.”
He explained that “by bringing Smart ID services into bank branches, we are moving closer to a future where people no longer have to travel long distances or stand in long queues to access this fundamental right,” adding that the initiative shows “what effective public-private collaboration looks like.”
According to Schreiber, the partnership “uses innovation and national reach to ensure every South African can obtain the identity they need to participate fully in our economy and democracy, closer to where they live,” calling it “our vision to deliver Home Affairs @ home, in action.”
