FNB boosts service delivery by issuing over 400 000 Smart IDs and passports via its branches

The participating branches are in Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo, and Kwa-Zulu Natal

FNB says that through its partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), it has issued over 400 000 Smart IDs and passports via its branches since 2015, in support of service delivery efforts to enable ease of access to these important identity documents.

Over the period, the Bank issued 192 954 Smart IDs and 233 026 passports across branches situated at 4 Merchant Place, Lifestyle Centre Centurion, Lynnwood, and The Glen (Gauteng), as well as Cornubia (KwaZulu-Natal), Burgersfort (Limpopo), and Green Point (Western Cape).

Chief Executive of FNB Points of Presence, Lee-Anne van Zyl, says, "We are humbled by how our customers have continued to embrace this service by collecting their IDs and passports at our branches. This collaboration provides a great framework to improve access to essential services, which have a fundamental social and economic impact. An identity document is key to accessing economic opportunities such as employment, financial services, and even mobile telecommunications. We also want to take this opportunity to remind our valuable customers that the booking process for ID and passport documents is facilitated through eChannel, a Home Affairs online booking portal that captures the applicant’s personal details."

Customers can apply via the Department of Home Affairs’ online booking system and collect their Smart IDs and passports at any of the seven participating FNB branches. Once the application has been processed online, the customer can schedule a time to visit their chosen branch for fingerprint verification. The final stage is an SMS confirmation notifying the applicant that the document is ready for collection.

"Our ambition is to continue working with the Department to expand this important service to more sites or branches across our footprint. This is also based on our appreciation that our branches are there to serve communities, and where possible, it is vital for us to use our infrastructure to make services beyond banking easily accessible," Van Zyl concludes.