Smart ID cards: Major upgrade fixes long-standing inequality

South Africans who became citizens through naturalisation, as well as lawful permanent residents, can now apply for Smart ID Cards via the digital Home Affairs platform for the first time.

“This step marks the single most significant milestone yet in Home Affairs’ exciting journey of digital transformation – with much more still to come,” said the Department of Home Affairs in a statement.

Smart ID cards update

This major update comes after months of IT reform efforts inside the department.

Previously, South Africans born abroad and permanent residents were stuck using the outdated green bar-coded ID book — a system long criticised for being insecure and difficult to modernise.

“For years, IT failures forced South Africans born abroad, as well as permanent residents, to continue using only the insecure green bar-coded ID book and excluded them from obtaining the more-secure Smart ID,” the department explained.

Home Affairs digital transformation

In rare cases, a handful of naturalised citizens could get Smart ID cards, but only after obtaining special permission from the Minister and undergoing a lengthy manual process.

“But the department’s digital transformation drive has now changed all of this and has delivered change for over 1.4 million eligible South Africans and lawful permanent residents,” the department said.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber described the announcement as a major breakthrough.

“Thanks to diligent work by our team, guided by our apex priority of digital transformation, we have now brought about this major reform within just a few months,” said Schreiber.

National security

Beyond personal convenience for individuals, Schreiber said the shift is also an important national security win.

“This is also a victory for improved national security. Naturalised citizens and permanent residents were the last remaining groups of people eligible for South African ID documents, who were excluded from obtaining Smart IDs,” he said.

“Thanks to our redress of this long-standing injustice, every eligible person in South Africa is now able to obtain a Smart ID for the first time. This takes us much closer to fully adopting the Smart ID and doing away with the green bar-coded ID book, thereby eliminating the fraud linked to this document.”

Smart ID cards: What next?

Looking ahead, the department plans to further expand Smart ID access geographically.

“The department is already hard at work to also deliver on this objective, by dramatically increasing the number of bank branches that take applications for Smart IDs and passports,” Schreiber added.

To manage the expected surge in Smart ID applications, Home Affairs offices will operate extended hours on the following Saturdays: