Relief for green ID book holders in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced several times its plans to phase out green ID books and replace them with smart ID cards due to identity fraud risks; however, they will not be able to invalidate the document anytime soon.
The green ID booklet has been a staple of South African identification for many years, but concerns about its vulnerability to identity fraud have led to efforts to replace it.
Former Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi highlighted that it is time for the country to move toward using only one form of identification, referring to the Smart ID.
The introduction of the Smart ID cards began in 2013, and the department initially planned to phase out the green ID books between 2018 and 2022.
One of the primary reasons for replacing the green ID books is the outdated design, which presents serious security risks.
Experts, like cloud engineer Tertius Wait from iiDENTiFii, have explained that the paper-based ID books are easily damaged and vulnerable to tampering.
Damaged ID books can be altered or forged, making them unreliable for secure identification.
These flaws have made the green ID book a target for identity fraud.
A 2024 report from Smile ID found that the green ID booklet was the most targeted document in Africa for fraudulent activities, leading to the DHA blocking more than 700,000 suspicious ID books.
Despite this, legal challenges have arisen over allegations that innocent people may have been caught up in these fraud prevention efforts.
However, the rollout of Smart IDs has faced significant delays.
The latest data from the DHA shows that only about 21 million Smart IDs have been issued, far short of covering the entire population.
Although the government has been working to issue Smart ID cards at a faster rate, the process has not gone smoothly.
The DHA set ambitious targets, such as issuing 2.5 million Smart IDs in the 2023/24 financial year.
While they were on track to meet this goal, it is clear that many South Africans still rely on the green ID booklet.
The department has indicated that it will only invalidate the green ID book once all of its offices are equipped with the necessary facilities for quick and efficient Smart ID applications—a milestone that has yet to be fully achieved.
For a long time, the Smart ID cards were only available to citizens by birth, leaving naturalised citizens and permanent residents in limbo.
Those who had lost or damaged their green ID books had limited options for replacement.
Furthermore, these groups were unable to use the DHA’s online booking system, eHomeAffairs, to apply for services like passports, adding to the concerns about the phasing out of the green ID.
However, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber recently announced that the next phase of the Smart ID rollout would extend to naturalised citizens and, eventually, permanent residents.
Approximately 700 applications from naturalised citizens were already being processed as part of a gradual invitation-based rollout.
Schreiber confirmed that the system’s expansion to these groups is in progress, though no specific timeline has been provided for when permanent residents will be able to apply for Smart IDs.
In an effort to make Smart ID cards more accessible, the DHA has also increased the number of mobile offices with live capture equipment to serve remote communities.
Additionally, the department is finalising agreements with banks to expand the footprint for Smart ID card applications, which will significantly increase capacity through public-private partnerships.
Some of the participating banks plan to add 34 more branches to support the Smart ID rollout, further improving access for South Africans across the country.
While the eventual goal is to retire the green ID booklet entirely, for now, holders can rest assured that the transition will not happen immediately, and more opportunities to obtain a Smart ID will soon be available.
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