{
  "id": 17789356,
  "title": "Govt to advance SA’s digital wallet programme",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/govt-to-advance-sas-digital-wallet-programme",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-02T11:23:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ITWeb",
    "slug": "itweb",
    "url": "https://www.itweb.co.za/article/govt-to-advance-sas-digital-wallet-programme/kYbe97XbjwzqAWpG"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The South African government is prioritising the advancement of digital wallet programmes to accelerate public infrastructure reforms. According to the Operation Vulindlela quarterly report, secure digital payment authorisation will be tested across participating systems by March 2027. The joint initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury aims to drive inclusive economic growth through structural reforms. Progress on digital public infrastructure reforms has been uneven, but several initiatives are moving from design to implementation. These include the digital payments programme, which has opened registration for payment-authorisation credentials and is preparing for controlled testing. Plans are also underway to launch the PEM (Payments Ecosystem Modernisation) Key sandbox for testing, progress instant payments through PayShap and QR-code payments to government, and expand the digital wallet programme, which is targeting end-November 2026. The digital public infrastructure reform aims to improve government efficiency, promote inclusion, and support economic transformation. Key initiatives include the MyMzansi citizen services platform, the shared gov.za platform, MzansiXchange, and the digital ID programme. MyMzansi has progressed from an initial development into a functional prototype, allowing for the issuance, storage, sharing, and verification of digital proof of matric qualifications. The gov.za shared website platform has also become operational for testing by participating departments. The MzansiXchange data-sharing pilot is progressing towards completion, and the first working prototype of the digital ID was publicly launched in October, with the Department of Home Affairs announcing that green ID books will cease production by March 2027.",
  "summary": "The state plans to test secure digital payment authorisation across participating systems by next March.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}