The Department of Home Affairs has signed an agreement with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Border Management Authority (BMA), and Government Printing Works (GPW) to digitally transform civic services.
One of the most impactful changes coming out of this deal is the expansion of Smart ID and passport services to banking platforms, including both bank branches and mobile apps, along with the introduction of secure courier delivery for official documents.
This means that soon, instead of waiting in long queues at Home Affairs, South Africans will be able to apply for and collect their Smart IDs or passports at hundreds of bank branches across the country. Even better, a new option to have these documents delivered straight to your door via secure courier will be introduced.
As a direct result of the successful conclusion of this agreement, clients can look forward to the following improvements:
– Launch of a world-class Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to digitalise and automate immigration procedures to eliminate inefficiency and fraud;
– Integration of Home Affairs services with banking platforms to expand access to Smart ID and passport services to hundreds of bank branches as well as to banking apps;
– Creation of an option to select secure courier delivery of documents that eliminates the requirement to collect documents only at Home Affairs offices;
– Upgrading of the Movement Control System (MCS) at all ports of entry; and
Introduction of Smart IDs for naturalised citizens and permanent residents.
“These two changes alone are game-changers,” said Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber. “By bringing Smart ID and passport services to banks and delivering documents to your home, we’re putting convenience, dignity, and accessibility at the heart of government service delivery.”
The integration with banks and banking apps is part of a broader shift toward digital transformation, leveraging SARS’s tech infrastructure to bring Home Affairs into a new era. Work is already underway to roll out these upgrades, with announcements expected soon on activation timelines.
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