Home affairs launches Smart ID partnership with banks

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has launched a partnership with Capitec Bank to bridge the gap between the department and South Africans.

Instead of citizens having to travel great distances to access home affairs services, the minister said they would now bring home affairs to the people.

“We are doing it by embracing the power of digital transformation. Over the past 20 months, a great deal of work has taken place behind the scenes to make today possible.

“For more than a decade, the home affairs partnership with banks was limited to just 30 branches across the entire country. In a nation of more than 63-million people, that was simply not enough. Today, we change that forever.”

Speaking at the launch in Orange Farm on Monday, Schreiber said this was the day home affairs would change forever.

“Today marks the beginning of the end of long queues at home affairs. Today, we are launching the first live bank branch in our digital partnership, and with it, we begin a transformation in how South Africans experience home affairs.”

The minister said this was in the works with the help of engineers, developers, operational teams, policy experts and banking partners.

“They have worked tirelessly to build something that has never been done before in South Africa. Through this digital partnership, we are dramatically expanding the number of safe, secure, and dignified places where South Africans can access home affairs services.

Schreiber commended the partnership, stating that banks have the infrastructure, the national reach and the digital capability to help the department expand access to services at a scale that government alone cannot achieve.

According to the minister, the banking sector is already integrated with home affairs, through the Online Verification Service that was upgraded last year.

“In effect, we are extending the footprint of home affairs into the banking network by using technology more smartly than government has done before. This initiative is part of our broader reform programme, which we call “Home Affairs @ home”. Our ambition is simple but powerful.”

Schreiber said his vision is for every South African to be able to access home affairs services wherever they are.

“Whether through their phone, their computer, or trusted partner institutions. One day soon, South Africans will not need to carry physical documents at all. Your identity, your birth certificate and your marriage certificate will exist securely in digital form, accessible when you need them.”

While this future of the digital identity system is being built, the minister said his department was also taking practical steps today to bridge the gap.

“This partnership with the banking sector is one of those steps. It allows us to expand access quickly and responsibly while we continue building the digital home affairs of the future.“

This move is to protect the identity of citizens who fall victim to what the minister calls one of the most defrauded identity documents on the continent.

“Around 16-million South Africans still rely on the green ID book. Fraud linked to weak identity systems costs our country billions of rand each year and exposes citizens to identity theft and abuse. It is also one of the key issues we must resolve to remain off the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) grey list going forward.”

He said the acceleration of the transition from the green ID book to the Smart ID Card strengthened the security of the national identity system and protected the identity of citizens.

“At the heart of this new model is a secure digital gateway that connects home affairs systems directly with our banking partners. Through this gateway, banks can securely integrate with home affairs systems while the department remains the custodian of South Africa’s national population register. Critically, this new digital partnership model leaves no room for manipulation by any individual.”

Schreiber explained that the process relies on cutting-edge biometric verification technology to ensure a fundamentally more secure population register, insulated from the identity theft, fraud and manipulation that costs the country dearly.

“This is what a modern digital state looks like: government building secure platforms that allow trusted partners to expand access to services while maintaining the highest standards of security and integrity. This partnership is also possible because South Africa has made enormous progress in financial inclusion. Today more than 80% of adults in our country have access to a bank account.”

Through this partnership, the minister said millions of South Africans who already interact with banking institutions regularly made banks a natural partner in bringing government services closer to the people.

“Home affairs remains committed to serving every citizen. Our modernised branches and mobile offices across the country will continue to serve citizens who do not have bank accounts or who prefer to access services through our existing channels.”

Though this partnership expands access to home affairs services, it would not replace them.

“What today represents is something bigger than the launch of a new service point. It represents the beginning of a new operating model for government services. A model where public institutions and trusted private partners work together to expand access, improve efficiency and restore dignity to public services.”

The minister said his department was motivated by the goal to deliver dignity for all.

“Our only goal is to serve the people better; we are committed to embracing innovation and new solutions that reduce friction and enhance security. Whatever solution improves the experience of the South African people when using home affairs, we will implement.”