According to an annual report by the Department of Home Affairs, the department reported a total downtime of 4.39% during their total operating hours for the 2020//2021 financial year. Two Home Affairs branches in the Eastern Cape were named the two of the worst branches in the country. To ease the strain on the branches there are several banks across the country where South Africans can apply for their passports and smart identity cards.
HOME AFFAIRS AND BANK BRANCHES
As per a 2021 BusinessTech report, minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said the department of Home Affairs’ partnership with national banks is working to resolve two major issues, one being the department’s downtime.
“The intention is to increase the number of the sites to 70 once the Public-Private-Partnership Agreements are signed with the banks,” said Motsoaledi.
The partnership with the banks was to reduce the long queues at the department and to allow South Africans to apply for passports and identity cards online.
The application process starts online, then you can continue the process at your nearest bank.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE TO APPLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WESTERN CAPE
- Standard Bank: Canal Walk, Cape Town
- FNB: Greenpoint, Cape Town
- Nedbank: St Georges Mall, Cape Town
- Standard Bank: Mitchell’s Plain Promenade, Mitchell’s Plain
- FNB: Portside, Cape Town
GAUTENG
- ABSA: Centurion
- FNB: Lynnwood, Pretoria
- FNB: Merchant Place, Sandton
- Nedbank: Arcadia, Pretoria
- Nedbank: Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort
- Nedbank: Rivonia, Sandton
- Standard Bank: Centurion
- Standard Bank: Killarney, Johannesburg
- Standard Bank: Simmonds Street, Johannesburg
- Investec Bank: Sandton
- Standard Bank: Jubilee Mall, Hammanskraal
- ABSA: Key West Mall, Krugersdorp
- ABSA: Sandton
- FNB: Glen Shoppign Centre, Oakdene
KWAZULU-NATAL
- FNB: Cornubia, Greyville
- Standard Bank: Kingsmead, Greyville
LIMPOPO
- FNB: Burgersfort, Limpopo
EASTERN CAPE
- ABSA: Gqerberha
- Standard Bank: Newtown, Gqerberha