The Department of Home Affairs says it is continuing its nationwide rollout to replace the green barcoded identity document with more secure smart IDs, amid rising concerns over fraud and identity theft.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says the green ID book remains one of the most compromised identity documents in South Africa, warning that it is highly vulnerable to manipulation by criminals.
He said weaknesses such as replaceable photographs and limited security features have made the document easy to exploit, including by criminal syndicates and in some cases through the use of artificial intelligence tools.
“There are studies that it is the most defrauded identity document on the African continent,” Schreiber said.
He added that around 16 million green ID books are still in circulation, with government now speeding up efforts to phase them out.
The department is working with banks to expand access to smart ID applications through branch networks, allowing citizens to transition more easily from the old system.
“We are moving very rapidly to expand this. We want to get to 750 bank branches by the end of this year,” he said, noting that more than 178 branches are already operational nationwide, including in rural areas.
The initiative forms part of a broader digital transformation programme, which includes the planned introduction of an Intelligent Population Register with biometric data for all residents, as well as new measures to prevent identity fraud and the misuse of traffic registration numbers.
Government says the reforms aim to strengthen migration management, improve security, and modernise South Africa’s identity systems while upholding constitutional values.
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