More Home Affairs offices to open across South Africa by 2026

At least 20 additional Home Affairs branches are expected to open across the country, meaning shorter queues for many South Africans.

This week, the Department of Home Affairs announced a partnership with Standard Bank following the successful acquisition of the necessary devices and infrastructure required to expand Home Affairs services across 20 additional branches by early 2026.

The initiative builds on Standard Bank’s collaboration with the DHA, which has already enabled thousands of clients to apply for and collect Smart IDs and passports at selected branches.

Head of Client Experience for Personal and Private Banking at Standard Bank, Marius Le Roux, said infrastructure secured for the new branches shows how serious the two stakeholders are about making this service accessible to more South Africans.

Le Roux explained that two pilot branches are already in the testing phase.

"These pilot locations are critical as they allow the bank to refine the service and ensure all systems are robust and ready ahead of the full rollout," he said.

He added that the branches have been specifically equipped to handle biometric data collection, secure document processing, and real-time integration with DHA platforms.

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, praised the high level of commitment from banking industry partners.

“It is very encouraging to see the commitment of partners moving with real urgency to invest in this visionary digital service delivery model," he said. 

The branches are expected to open next year. 

IOL