Home Affairs achieves 61% reduction in system downtime through digital reforms
Home Affairs has reported a 61% reduction in system downtime at its offices nationwide, with the Department crediting a series of digital reforms aimed at improving service delivery and reducing disruptions for citizens seeking essential services.
The Home Affairs department in South Africa reported a significant 61% reduction in system downtime during the 2025/26 financial year, attributed to digital reforms aimed at modernizing the department's technology infrastructure and enhancing service delivery. Minister Leon Schreiber announced this milestone, highlighting that incidents causing office unavailability due to system failures had dropped significantly.
Total working hours lost to system downtime decreased from 35,426 hours in the previous year to 13,867 hours. Improvements were noted across all nine provinces, with the Free State experiencing the most substantial reduction at 79%, followed by Mpumalanga at 68%, and Gauteng at 66%. The Western Cape and North West provinces also saw improvements of 65% and 41%, respectively.
Schreiber emphasized that the reforms have not only expanded access to services, with over 408 bank branches rolling out digital Smart ID services, but also improved service quality. The department is continuing to strengthen real-time system performance monitoring to further reduce outages and enhance efficiency across its offices.
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