South Africa is preparing for one of the biggest changes to its identity system in decades, with President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirming the government’s commitment to phase out the country’s long-standing green barcoded ID books and replace them with a modern digital identity framework.
Speaking during a recent National Council of Provinces meeting, Ramaphosa said the transition forms part of broader efforts to modernise public services, strengthen identity security and curb identity fraud and illegal immigration.
The government is developing an Intelligent Population Register supported by biometric technology and a Digital ID platform, which will ultimately replace the ageing green ID book that has been vulnerable to forgery and identity theft for many years.
Smart ID Rollout Gains Momentum
The President’s comments follow recent confirmation by Home Affairs Director-General Thulani Mavuso that the Department of Home Affairs expects to be ready to stop printing green ID books before the end of 2026.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber is expected to announce the official date on which the green ID book will no longer be recognised as a valid form of identification.
Originally introduced in 1980 to replace South Africa’s earlier blue “Book of Life”, the green barcoded ID book served millions of citizens for decades. However, advances in printing technology have made the document increasingly vulnerable to fraud and counterfeiting.
To address these challenges, the Department of Home Affairs introduced the Smart ID card in 2013. The card incorporates enhanced security features and digital protections designed to reduce identity fraud and document tampering.
Despite its security advantages, adoption was initially slow because biometric live-capture equipment was available at only a limited number of Home Affairs offices.
Bank Partnerships Expand Access Nationwide
A significant breakthrough came in 2025 when the Department of Home Affairs and the Banking Association South Africa launched a new digital partnership that allows participating banks to process Smart ID applications using their own staff and infrastructure.
The programme began operating in selected branches in March 2026 before expanding rapidly across more than 250 branches operated by Capitec, FNB and Standard Bank.
Within approximately three months, participating branches processed more than 300,000 Smart ID applications, highlighting strong public demand for easier access to identity services.
The Department of Home Affairs also reported issuing around four million Smart ID cards during the 2025/26 financial year, representing a substantial increase over previous years.
Looking ahead, the government plans to expand Smart ID services to approximately 750 bank branches while introducing additional services such as passport applications, first-time ID registrations and home delivery of official documents.
The department has also identified extending full Smart ID access to permanent residents and naturalised citizens as a priority, ensuring more people can benefit from South Africa’s evolving digital identity system.
The transition marks another step in the country’s long-term strategy to modernise government services while improving document security and reducing opportunities for identity-related crime.
Source: MyBroadband