Important message for South Africans who have green ID books

Home Affairs and security experts are urging South Africans with the old green ID book to transition to Smart IDs, as they are vulnerable to identity theft and other security problems.

According to Smile ID’s 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa report, the fraud rate associated with South Africa’s green ID book was a staggering 500% higher than that of Smart IDs.

The report added that South Africa’s green ID book recorded the highest fraud rate on the continent, at 34%.

In contrast, the newer Smart ID card offers enhanced security measures designed to combat identity fraud— which is why Home Affairs repeatedly urges citizens to make the switch.

A Home Affairs spokesperson emphasised the security differences between the two identification methods.

“Home Affairs have sent out multiple forms of awareness to the public to indicate that the safety features embedded into the green barcoded ID book are not at the level of the Smart card.”

“We know this because we have yet to come across a case of identity theft where the new Smart ID has been compromised or replicated,” said the Home Affairs spokesperson.

iiDENTIFii, a computer security company, has also raised concern over the growing risks of identity fraud.

The firm highlighted that identity fraud is a growing concern in South Africa, with over 56% of businesses seeing it as a future threat.

This is according to a study by iiDENTIFii’s Identity Index 2024 South Africa Edition, published in partnership with World Wide Worx.

The firm’s chief operating officer, Murray Collyer, said that identity theft in South Africa is on the rise, and the risks it poses are growing as the world transitions towards a more digital landscape.

“South Africa is moving from a world that was traditionally brick and mortar infrastructure and branches to a fully virtual world,” said Collyer.

“This means that many customers and businesses may never see each other face to face, and this creates a space that criminals can take advantage of, and they already are.”

He added that identity theft is leading to massive personal and financial losses for South Africans and people around the world.

Carte Blanche exposes identity theft

Carte Blanche highlighted the seriousness of identity theft last year. The investigative TV program showed that no one is immune and sophisticated ID theft syndicates are right in our backyard.

It uncovered a syndicate operating in Soshanguve, a township near Pretoria, which sells fake Identity documents.

The exposé revealed that real individuals’ identity profiles could be bought for just R3,000 or more, depending on the credit profile of the identity theft victim.

In light of the significant risks, the department has made notable strides to make it easier for South Africans to make the change to the Smart ID card.

These initiatives include increasing Home Affairs service points at select bank branches and deploying mobile units known as “Home Affairs on Wheels” to reach underserved areas.

Currently, around 30 banks offer Smart ID services and have at least another 34 earmarked for eHomeAffairs support.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber expressed his commitment to expanding this network: “I want every village, town, city, and suburb in South Africa to have access to Home Affairs services in a local bank branch.”

Schreiber believes this expansion will reduce pressure on Home Affairs offices and shorten long queues, ultimately improving service delivery.

Additionally, as of the end of 2024, Home Affairs has a fleet of 220 mobile offices called Home Affairs on Wheels, which travel to underserved communities to enhance citizen service delivery.

The department has outlined a massive uptake in the Smart ID card as a result of these initiatives, which is a positive sign.

By the end of the 2024/2025 financial year, Home Affairs is on track to issue a record-breaking 3.6 million Smart IDs, significantly exceeding its target of 2.5 million.

“This is, by some margin, the strongest performance since Smart IDs were first introduced a decade ago,” the department said.

“As a result of this growing public confidence in the trajectory of Home Affairs, more South Africans than ever before are obtaining the critical enabling documents they require to open bank accounts, apply for jobs, qualify for government services, and keep their identities guarded.”

“This overperformance also inspires us to work even harder to ensure that all qualifying persons are able to obtain Smart IDs before the end of calendar year 2025.”