South Africa has launched its first bank-based mobile unit for Smart ID renewals, as Absa and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) deepen their partnership to improve access to identity services.
Unveiled at Absa’s Tembisa branch, the mobile unit will initially operate across Gauteng, taking selected Home Affairs services to remote, peri-urban and underserved communities. The initiative complements the expansion of Home Affairs services to more Absa branches and new functionality on the Absa Banking App, where customers can book appointments and track applications.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the launch is another milestone in the Department’s Home Affairs @ home reform programme.
He noted that access to Smart IDs has expanded rapidly through the Department’s partnership with the banking sector, with service points growing from 214 to 541 in just four and a half months. The number is expected to reach around 750 participating bank branches by the end of 2026.
“The launch of South Africa’s first bank-based Home Affairs mobile unit brings secure identity services closer to where South Africans live, work and bank,” Schreiber said.
