TymeBank and Home Affairs Introduce Digital Smart ID and Passport Services

TymeBank has officially become the eighth bank to partner with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to improve access to smart IDs and passports for millions of South Africans. This collaboration, announced on 3 September, seeks to deliver more efficient, secure, and inclusive public services throughout the nation.

The digital bank, which serves over 11 million customers, will leverage its technology and extensive network to support Home Affairs in its modernization initiatives. This effort is part of DHA’s strategy to expand digital access to essential services, especially in remote and underserved regions.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber noted that this collaboration will accelerate the drive to make Home Affairs services more accessible.

“As one of the eight banks involved in our digital partnership, TymeBank will help us realize our vision of ‘Home Affairs at home’,” he stated. He also highlighted that this initiative represents “the most pro-poor and inclusive reform Home Affairs has implemented in its history.”

Read: Major banks support Schreiber’s push for smart ID and passport services

TymeBank CEO Karl Westvig commented that this partnership reflects a shared dedication to technology-driven inclusion.

“TymeBank’s mission has always focused on broadening banking through an innovative, secure, and tech-driven approach that offers simple, accessible, and affordable products to all South Africans. We are excited to extend this secure digital capability to assist Home Affairs in providing trusted, citizen-focused services,” Westvig stated.

The initiative will begin with a pilot phase at TymeBank’s headquarters in Johannesburg, followed by the rollout of DHA services to bank locations across the country. Customers will be notified when Smart ID and passport applications become available at their nearest TymeBank service point.

Background: disputes over verification fees

This partnership comes on the heels of public tensions between TymeBank and the Home Affairs department regarding the fees tied to the upgraded National Population Register (NPR) online verification service. Earlier this year, TymeBank voiced concerns over significant increases in verification fees, which rose from 15 cents to R10 per real-time check, warning that this change would negatively impact financial inclusion and make it unsustainable to serve low-income clients.

Tyme Group CEO Coenraad Jonker described the fee hike as “a regressive tax on the most vulnerable South Africans” and appealed for national leaders to intervene.

In response, Schreiber defended the new pricing structure as necessary for covering the actual costs of the service and preserving the system’s integrity. He accused TymeBank of benefiting from taxpayer subsidies under the previous fee framework and stated that it was disingenuous for the bank to claim it had not been consulted.

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