Many South Africans complain about the time-consuming activity of obtaining passports, visas and smart cards in South Africa. There are now three big improvements that may help speed up the process.
The Department of Home Affrairs has been led by Minister Leon Schreiber (Democratic Alliance ) and Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza (ANC).
THREE BIG IMPROVEMENTS
MORE ACCESS ACROSS BANKS
Applying for passports and Smart ID cards is slowly becoming easier. Rather than standing in long queues at Home Affairs offices, South Africans are now able to complete the process at selected bank branches. The partnership with the banking sector is being expanded steadily, with plans to open services at more branches over the next few years.
The following banks have signed on:
- Standard Bank
- FNB
- Absa
- Nedbank
- Capitec
- African Bank
- Discovery Bank
“Very soon, South Africans will be able to go to bank branches – even in the most rural parts of the country – to interact with a camera and order a smart ID or a passport,” said Dr Scheiber speaking at the latest PSG Think Big webinar.
STREAMLINED VISA PROCESSES
Foreign visitors can also look forward to an improved experience. Government has started streamlining visa applications, reducing delays and creating more efficient pathways for travel into South Africa. A modernised visa system is expected to boost tourism and investment, giving the economy a lift.
The Department welcomed 27 000 Indian and Chinese tourists in just five months through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS).
ADVANCEMENT IN DIGITAL SERVICES
The Department of Home Affairs is looking further into digitalisation.
“Automation and digital transformation are a key part of closing off that space for human bias, for human discretion, for human interference,” said Dr Scheiber.
“And I think that is really starting to yield fruits – improving security and anti-corruption measures, but also efficiency,” he continued.
“We are fundamentally re-engineering the entire process of how the state operates in this domain. And we’re able to do that because technology creates the opportunity for us to look afresh at how government services can be delivered,” he added.
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ARE YOU HAPPY FOR THESE CHANGES?
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