TymeBank has joined forces with the Department of Home Affairs to extend Smart ID and passport services to South African retailers, notably at kiosks in nearly all Pick n Pay, Boxer, and TFG stores. This initiative is part of the department’s “Home Affairs @ home” program, aimed at improving access to routine Home Affairs services nationwide.
This partnership builds on the existing collaboration initiated with the eHomeAffairs system in 2016, which had previously involved banks like FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Investec, Nedbank, and Discovery Bank operating pilot sites. Although successful, those services were limited to 30 bank branches. The goal now is to expand to 1,000 bank branches by 2029.
Alongside TymeBank, which is fully digital and operates no physical branches, other banks including Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank, African Bank, and Discovery Bank have also signed on to this initiative. TymeBank’s unique model relies on over 1,400 kiosks in retail settings for customer interactions.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber emphasized that this partnership would significantly enhance service delivery, allowing over 11 million TymeBank customers to access DHA services seamlessly and securely. He described the initiative as a major step towards inclusivity, particularly benefiting citizens in remote and impoverished areas.
Karl Westvig, CEO of TymeBank, noted that this collaboration aligns with both organizations’ commitment to leveraging technology for positive social impact. The partnership will begin with a testing phase at TymeBank’s Johannesburg head office before rolling out services nationwide.