Ward councillor Ronél Viljoen has welcomed the introduction of Capitec Bank’s new in-branch Smart ID Service at the Tygervalley branch, which will provide local residents with convenient access to identity document services.
The Ward 70 councillor announced that the Capitec branch in Tygervalley is now connected to the Department of Home Affairs system to assist with identity documents, including replacing green IDs with Smart ID cards or renewing existing ID cards.
“I look forward to the work being done by Home Affairs through this partnership,” said Councillor Viljoen, highlighting the significance of bringing essential government services closer to the community.
The new service allows customers to apply for Smart ID cards directly at the bank branch through dedicated Self-Service Terminals that connect in real time to the Department of Home Affairs systems. Applications take under five minutes and require no prior booking.
Customers pay the standard Department of Home Affairs fee of R140 plus a R10 Capitec logistics fee, totaling R150 with no hidden costs. The service features paperless, biometric capture and secure real-time processing, with customers receiving a notification when their ID is ready for collection from the branch.
Graham Lee, Capitec Group CEO, said the service addresses a real need in underserved communities. “An ID is a catalyst for economic participation. We serve close to half of South Africa’s adult population, and we know that time is our clients’ most valuable asset,” he said.
The Smart ID Service is currently being rolled out to select Capitec branches as part of a phased national expansion planned to reach 100 branches by mid-2026. Capitec operates more than 860 branches across suburbs, townships and rural areas.
Capitec Bank, which serves approximately 25 million clients, recently won News24’s Bank of the Year award for the second consecutive year in March 2026. The bank scored exceptionally in reader surveys, with more than 93% of respondents rating client service and communication 4-5 out of 5, and more than nine in 10 saying they would recommend the bank.
