Home Affairs says ‘system offline’ incidents down 61% after digital reforms

Home Affairs says it has cut nationwide “system offline” incidents by 61% after implementing digital reforms, the department announced. The improvements come as the department reports a fall in working hours lost to system downtime from 35,426 hours in 2024/25 to 13,867 hours in 2025/26.

What the department says

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber had previously said, “System offline at Home Affairs should be a swear word.” The department credited targeted digital reforms with the reduction in downtime.

The minister’s spokesperson, Carli van Wyk, said the reforms continue to produce “concrete service delivery improvements for the people of South Africa.”

Which changes were made

The department listed several areas targeted by the reforms: upgrading network infrastructure, modernising front-office applications, replacing ageing equipment and eliminating single points of failure that had previously left offices offline for protracted periods.

Measured improvements

According to the department, the 61% improvement in system uptime applied nationally during the 2025/26 financial year. Provincial gains cited in the department’s summary included a 79% improvement in the Free State, 68% in Mpumalanga and 41% in the North West.

Van Wyk said further work is under way to enhance real-time performance monitoring across the system.

Access and rollout

Schreiber linked the uptime gains to broader access efforts, saying the reforms supported an expansion of digital services. The department stated that over 408 bank branches have rolled out digital Smart ID services over the past five months, and that users at those branches or departmental offices are experiencing better service compared with earlier failures associated with Home Affairs.

Next steps

Schreiber said the department’s work is not yet complete and described the recent improvements as motivation to “further enhance access and service delivery through digital transformation to ensure we deliver dignity for all.”