South Africans will soon be able to apply for Smart IDs and passports at Pick n Pay, Boxer and TFG outlets, following a new partnership between the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and TymeBank.

As a fully digital bank with no branches, TymeBank will use its 1,400 in-store kiosks to provide these services, giving millions of customers more convenient access to essential documents. This expansion falls under the DHA’s “Home Affairs @ home” initiative, which aims to make routine services more accessible nationwide.

The eHomeAffairs system first launched in 2016, with banks such as FNB, Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Investec, and Discovery Bank piloting the programme. Although successful, the rollout has remained limited to 30 sites. The DHA now plans to grow the service to 1,000 locations by 2029. Recent sign-ups include Capitec, Nedbank, Absa, African Bank, and Discovery Bank, with TymeBank joining on 2 September.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber hailed the expansion as a breakthrough for citizens in remote and underserved communities, calling it the department’s most inclusive reform yet. TymeBank CEO Karl Westvig described the collaboration as a natural fit, highlighting the bank’s reach of over 11 million customers.

Before going live across the country, TymeBank will test the system at its Johannesburg headquarters, after which kiosks nationwide will begin offering Smart ID and passport services.

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