Digital Transformation of Home Affairs a Quantum Leap Forward

Statement by Adrian Roos MP – DA Spokesperson on Home Affairs:

The Democratic Alliance backs Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber’s ambitious digital transformation programme, which is fundamentally changing how South Africans interact with Home Affairs by replacing outdated, paper-based processes with secure and accessible digital services.

It was fitting that this vision was unveiled at Constitution Hill. This is a place where South Africans were once imprisoned under pass laws that turned identity and documentation into instruments of control. Today, it stands as the home of the Constitutional Court and a symbol of the rights and dignity guaranteed by our democracy.

The transformation unveiled today gives practical meaning to the journey of delivering dignity for all.

Minister Schreiber demonstrated South Africa’s first working Digital ID, which represents a fundamental shift in how identity will work in a digital society. At the heart of the system is a powerful principle that citizens must be in control of their own identity data, know who is trying to access what personal data, and either approve or reject such access. Instead of routinely handing over copies of identity documents containing more personal information than is necessary, South Africans will be able to control what information they share and with whom. Digital ID will enable secure verification while strengthening safeguards around citizens’ personal information.

This quantum leap sees Home Affairs moving from a system built around paper documents, physical offices and queues towards one where South Africans can securely apply and have their documents delivered to their doorstep or even to their device.

This transformation is already taking shape. Smart ID services have expanded to 515 bank branches, with more than 822,500 people having used the service. The programme is set to reach more than 750 service points by the end of 2026. This footprint expansion will see pressure taken off physical offices and allow those office staff to go out to their communities and assist the millions of undocumented South African citizens, who were never documented because their parents had passed away or never had the means, to experience inclusion, recognition, and the delivery of dignity for the very first time.

Minister Schreiber also announced a decisive end to the fraud-prone Green ID Book. Production will permanently cease on 31 March 2027, before the Green ID Book ceases to be recognised as a valid form of identification on 31 March 2028. Part of this process will see South Africans born abroad given the opportunity to apply for SmartIDs. Replacing the Green ID Book with the more secure biometric Smart ID Card and Digital ID will strengthen the integrity of South Africa’s identity system and better protect citizens against identity theft and fraud.

Together with the expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, the Digital ID and the rapid expansion of Home Affairs services through banks and digital channels, these reforms represent a fundamental redesign of the relationship between citizens and the state.

The DA delivers in government by embracing reform, technology and partnerships to build a state that protects people’s rights, respects their time, and delivers dignity for all.