Home Affairs demonstrates South Africa’s new smartphone-based digital ID

South Africa has unveiled its first operational digital ID, as the Home Affairs department aims to curb identity theft, document fraud, and system manipulation through a major shift towards biometric verification and automated services. The smartphone-based identity system, showcased by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, would allow citizens to securely prove their identities without relying solely on physical documents.

The digital ID will be tied to the population register and secured via biometric verification, enabling users to control the personal information they share and when their data has been accessed. Home Affairs Minister Schreiber emphasized that digital ID is not a photograph of an ID card but a secure tool linked to biometrics that confirms one's identity without any interference.

The prototype demonstrated linked to Schreiber's actual information from the population register allowed an immigration official to request information using a QR code, which the minister could approve or deny. The system will also create an audit trail, allowing citizens to monitor when their information is accessed. The digital ID rollout is part of a broader initiative to eliminate vulnerable paper-based identification.

Home Affairs plans to stop producing green ID books on March 31, 2027, before the document loses its validity on March 31, 2028. About 14.7 million South African citizens and permanent residents still rely on green ID books, down from 16 million six months ago. After the production ends, holders will have 12 months to switch to smart ID cards before the green books cease to be recognized as valid identification.

The department is processing public submissions on digital ID regulations, aiming to limit how personal information can be used. The digital ID will eventually hold other Home Affairs credentials, such as birth and marriage certificates. The department is extending this anti-fraud strategy to immigration and passports, developing a biometrically secured e-passport with a chip containing the traveler's biometric information.

Once implemented, the e-passport could be read by electronic airport gates, while automated border gates are planned for the expanded Electronic Travel Authorisation system. Schreiber emphasized that automation removes opportunities for officials or intermediaries to manipulate processes, stating, "You cannot bribe a computer."