South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has announced a significant policy change. This policy will allow over 1.4 million naturalised South Africans and permanent residents to apply for the modern Smart ID card starting this week. This move, spearheaded by Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, marks a turning point. It shows the department’s broader digital transformation drive aimed at enhancing service delivery and restoring dignity to previously excluded groups.
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Long-Awaited Inclusion
For years, South Africans born abroad and those with permanent residence status could not obtain a Smart ID. Instead, they were forced to rely on the outdated green bar-coded ID book. This system is widely acknowledged for its security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. These groups were also locked out of the eHomeAffairs online booking platform, compounding their frustration and reinforcing their sense of inequality.
According to Minister Schreiber, the change represents not just a technical upgrade but a restoration of dignity and equality.
“This breakthrough in our digital transformation reforms directly delivers dignity to over 1.4 million people,” Schreiber said. “For years, they were treated as second-class citizens by being excluded from access to the Smart ID and eHomeAffairs.”
Previously, only a small number of naturalised citizens managed to obtain Smart IDs through a burdensome and highly manual process, which required direct ministerial approval. The current reform eliminates those barriers and creates an inclusive, tech-driven process available to all eligible citizens and residents.
What This Means for Applicants
Eligible individuals can now apply for their Smart ID cards through the eHomeAffairs portal, just like any other South African citizen. The department is anticipating a surge in applications and has extended working hours over weekends to accommodate the high demand. This move is expected to ease pressure on physical offices and improve turnaround times for ID issuance.
The new access will particularly benefit individuals who have waited years for fair treatment. It will also enhance security and accessibility, aligning with the government’s ongoing efforts to phase out the green ID books due to their susceptibility to fraud.
Home Affairs Goes Digital – 24/7 Service Vision
This policy update is part of a broader transformation agenda within Home Affairs. Minister Schreiber has outlined a bold vision to make Home Affairs services available 24/7, not just through brick-and-mortar offices but also online and in banking halls nationwide.
Currently, South Africa has 342 physical Home Affairs offices and 220 mobile units—a number far too small to serve a population of over 62 million people. To bridge this gap, the department is piloting partnerships with private banks to expand service availability. The goal is to increase access points from 30 bank branches to over 1,000.
“We are building a fundamentally new model to deliver Home Affairs at home,” Schreiber explained. “Once complete, Home Affairs services will be available at any time, from any place—whether online or in a bank branch.”
Addressing Inefficiencies and Vulnerabilities
Parliamentary discussions have revealed several shortcomings in the traditional Home Affairs model. For instance, only selected hospitals currently have officials available to register newborns. This has created bottlenecks and left rural residents particularly vulnerable. Concerns have also been raised about long queues, where pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities are turned away after traveling long distances, often at significant personal expense.
Minister Schreiber emphasized that digital transformation will free up departmental capacity and allow the state to focus on helping the most vulnerable, including undocumented children. Technology, he says, will be key to making services more humane, efficient, and inclusive.
“We need a dedicated campaign to resolve these issues and bring dignity to people. Technology is the enabler that can make that happen.”
The Department of Home Affairs is taking bold steps to modernize and democratize its services. The inclusion of naturalised South Africans and permanent residents in the Smart ID system is a critical milestone. Coupled with a vision for 24/7 accessibility and digital-first service delivery, these reforms could reshape the way millions of South Africans interact with the state—finally bringing Home Affairs closer to every home.
