TymeBank to offer Smart ID and passport services to South Africans: what you need to know
TymeBank expands services: Smart IDs and passports coming to kiosks across South Africa.
South Africans will soon be able to apply for their Smart ID cards and passports directly through TymeBank, thanks to a new partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The fully digital bank is joining the government’s modernised rollout of identification services, making it easier for customers to complete applications at TymeBank kiosks nationwide.
South African digital bank TymeBank will soon provide Home Affairs Smart ID and Passport services, becoming the latest financial institution to support the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) digital transformation programme.
The announcement was made by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, who confirmed that TymeBank is the eighth bank to sign up for the DHA’s modernised partnership model. The initiative is designed to extend Smart ID and passport services to hundreds of new service points, with the long-term plan targeting more than 1,000 bank-linked locations by 2029.
Unlike the country’s traditional banks, TymeBank operates without physical branches. Instead, it runs a wide network of 1,450 kiosks inside Pick n Pay, Boxer and Foschini Group stores. These kiosks will serve as the testing ground for the new DHA services, starting in Johannesburg before expanding nationwide. Customers will be notified as soon as services are available at their nearest TymeBank kiosk.
This approach differs from other participating banks—Capitec, FNB, Absa, Nedbank, African Bank and Standard Bank—which are preparing to offer services across hundreds of existing branches. The only major institution yet to confirm participation is Investec, though it has been invited to join the programme.
The expansion is enabled by the DHA’s live capture system, a significant upgrade from the older pilot model that had been running since 2013. Under the previous setup, DHA offices inside bank branches relied on parallel systems, limiting the rollout to just 30 branches over a decade.
With the new model, banks and kiosks integrate directly with the DHA database. Staff will capture biometric information, verify identity details in real time and process applications securely. Customers will be able to apply for their Smart ID or passport and later collect the document from the same branch or kiosk within weeks.
TymeBank CEO Karl Westvig said the partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to accessibility and innovation:
“Our mission has always been to make financial services simple, affordable and inclusive. By extending our secure digital capabilities to Home Affairs, we can help millions of South Africans access Smart ID and passport services more easily.”
In the longer term, both TymeBank and Discovery Bank are expected to integrate the process into their mobile banking apps, enabling South Africans to submit applications digitally. The DHA’s vision is to progress towards a fully digital system, ultimately including the option for home delivery of IDs and passports.
By the end of 2025, more than 100 bank branches are expected to offer DHA services, with hundreds more to follow in the subsequent years. Analysts estimate that at least 150 additional service points will be operational by March 2026, significantly extending access for citizens across the country.
TymeBank’s participation marks a turning point for digital-only banks in South Africa, demonstrating that even without traditional branches they can play a pivotal role in delivering essential government services. As the rollout accelerates, South Africans should benefit from shorter queues, faster processing and a more convenient path to obtaining Smart IDs and passports.
