A brand new digital id system will make the inexperienced ID guide in South Africa out of date. Speaking in his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this month (6 February), President Ramaphosa stated enhanced ‘digital public infrastructure’ would ultimately put pay to the inexperienced ID guide in South Africa, stories BusinessTech.
However, Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber says there isn’t any must panic when you nonetheless haven’t upgraded to the sensible ID card. Because though the division needs to cease issuing the inexperienced ID guide in South Africa in 2025, they are going to nonetheless stay legitimate for the foreseeable future. Specifically, the division needs to ‘get its house in order’ as a part of an inside goal to change into absolutely digitised, stories Daily Investor.
GREEN ID BOOK IN SOUTH AFRICA
Furthermore, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza got here out earlier within the yr about safety dangers related to the inexperienced ID guide in South Africa. The previous booklets usually tend to be concerned in id theft in South Africa. And as soon as identities are stolen, criminals can entry credit score, loans, banks, colleges, universities and extra.
This is why the sensible ID card with biometric options and digital verification is a worthy improve from the inexperienced ID guide in South Africa. Moreover, digital integration is the objective for President Ramaphosa’s formidable new digital public infrastructure. So rather more than simply an ID doc, basically, South Africans will be capable of entry all authorities companies by means of a relaunched gov.za platform.
ALL GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN ONE

Imagine, NATIS for your vehicle licence, SARS to your tax return, SASSA for your grant, NHI to your healthcare and Home Affairs to your sensible ID, all collectively in a single. The new enterprise is being headed by SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter. And the plan is that each citizen will get a single Unique Digital Identifier (UDI) accompanying their sensible ID card. Any transaction with the federal government is connected to that UID. This ensures that each one authorities branches are interconnected and stored updated always.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs says that it’s exceeding its targets for issuing sensible IDs in 2025. Minister Schreiber stated final month that his division is on observe to course of 3.6 million. This is already one-million above its set goal, and much exceeding the quantities delivered in earlier years, stories BusinessTech.
STONGEST PERFORMANCE IN A DECADE

Furthermore, between 1 October and 31 December 2024, 970 543 sensible IDs have been issued, versus a quarterly goal of 575 000. Similarly, between 1 July and 30 September 2024, 895 125 sensible IDs have been issued in opposition to a goal of 625 000. This represents, by fairly some margin, the strongest efficiency since sensible IDs have been first launched again in 2013. “This performance also inspires us to work even harder to ensure that all qualifying persons are able to ditch the green ID book in South Africa and obtain smart IDs before the end of calendar year 2025,” concluded the minister.
Below is an inventory of eligibility necessities for a brand new sensible ID card utility:
- You should be at the very least 16-years previous.
- If you’re international born, a government-issue ID/passport from the nation of your beginning could also be used as dentification.
- ID or journey paperwork from the previous Transkei, Bophutatswana, Venda or Ciskei homelands shall be accepted.
- Bring alongside your unique beginning certificates for a first-time applicant.
- Any documentation verifying authorized guardianship within the occasion of adoption.
- As mother and father of a first-time applicant, you have to to current your individual parental IDs.
- In the occasion of deceased mother and father, you will need to provide the demise certificates of any and all deceased mother and father (if relevant).
- Bring a proof of handle (utility invoice along with your identify and handle clearly acknowledged on it).
- For naturalised citizenship, produce your legitimate everlasting South African resident certificates.
- In the occasion of a misplaced/stolen ID doc, deliver a sworn and signed police affidavit together with a police case quantity.
- A substitute ID prices R140.
ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL IDENTITIES?

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