Home Affairs unveils Digital ID prototype but Smart ID card stays available

Home Affairs this week demonstrated a smartphone-based Digital ID prototype that uses QR codes and biometric locks, but the department says the physical Smart ID card will remain an available option.

Minister shows off biometric Digital ID

At a media event held at Constitution Hill, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber displayed a Digital ID that pulls identity credentials onto a smartphone and links directly to biometric data on the National Population Register. The prototype includes a QR code and is described as a biometrically locked digital credential.

Digital ID described as a remote verification tool

The Digital ID is part of Home Affairs’ Quantum Leap reform programme. The department frames the Digital ID as a “remote verification tool” rather than a scanned image of a document, and it allows users to approve or deny exactly what information is shared in real time.

“We are moving from a situation where we currently have two versions of valid ID. The insecure green ID booklet and the safer Smart ID Card. But soon there will be two new forms, the secure Smart ID Card and smartphone-based Digital ID. Both will be voluntary, and the physical card will remain available for anyone who chooses to use it,”

Minister Leon Schreiber

Will people be able to skip the Smart ID card?

Minister Schreiber framed the Digital ID as sitting alongside the Smart ID card rather than replacing it. The launch did not establish a public release date for the Digital ID, nor did it publish eligibility requirements.

Because the launch did not explicitly state that holding a physical Smart ID card is a prerequisite, the presentation left open the possibility that applicants might be able to obtain a Digital ID without first getting a Smart ID card. However, the department has not confirmed that as policy.

Deadlines for holders of the old green ID booklet

The event reiterated a timetable for phasing out the green ID booklet. The following dates were listed:

• 31 March 2027: Home Affairs stops producing green ID books.
• 31 March 2027: Naturalised citizens, permanent residents and South Africans living abroad will be able to obtain Smart ID Cards.
• 31 March 2028: The green ID book will lose all legal validity as an identity document.

The presentation noted that roughly 15 million South Africans currently rely solely on the green book.

How to apply for a Smart ID Card online

Home Affairs outlined the online application steps for the Smart ID Card:

• Register on eHomeAffairs using your ID number, email and cellphone number, verified via OTP.
• Log in and apply for your Smart ID Card, specifying if it is an upgrade, replacement or first-time application.
• Book a biometric appointment via My Home Affairs Online.
• Choose a participating bank branch for biometrics; more than 515 branches now participate.
• Attend your appointment with your current ID document; biometrics capture takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• First-time applicants and anyone aged 60 or older pay no fee; replacements cost R140.
• Collect your card once notified by SMS, typically within two to three weeks.

What remains unclear

The department has not published a launch date for the Digital ID or detailed eligibility requirements. Until policy is clarified, Home Affairs’ position is that both the Smart ID card and the smartphone-based Digital ID will be voluntary and available to users.