Green ID book to be replaced: Home Affairs Minister Schreiber outlines digital transformation plans
Image: Supplied
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says the outdated green bar-coded ID book will be discontinued by the end of 2029, and it will stop issuing the ID book by the end of 2025 as part of a major digital transformation campaign in South Africa.
Speaking on the DA's podcast, Schreiber outlined his department's bold strategy to modernise services, expand access to smart ID cards, and bring Home Affairs into the digital era.
According to Schreiber, 25 million smart ID cards have already been issued, while 18 million green ID books remain in circulation. However, the green book poses serious security risks.
'It's actually the most defrauded ID document in Africa,' Schreiber said. 'It has a large financial cost.'
Despite this, Home Affairs continues to issue green IDs at 25% of its 430 offices, which remain non-modernised and paper-based.
'You can't just, at the stroke of a pen, cancel the green book without giving people access to the alternative,' he said.
Schreiber's department is now focusing on giving all South Africans access by scaling up digital infrastructure, partnering with banks, and introducing online and mobile solutions. Currently, only 30 bank branches in the country offer smart ID services, and these are mostly located in urban areas, he said.
'We're still contributing to the problem,' he said. 'People try to make online bookings, and they're full one minute past midnight because there are only 30 branches in a country of 62 million people.'
A key challenge, Schreiber said, is staffing. 'Home Affairs only meets 40% of its human resource requirements, meaning it will never have the necessary number of people to make the bank branch system work.
'You're simply never going to have enough people to get to every bank branch in South Africa.'
The solution lies in integrating Home Affairs technology directly into bank IT platforms, eliminating the need for a full Home Affairs team to be physically present in each branch, he said.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
'Once we get it right, there's no reason that every bank branch can't offer it. It becomes an online integrated system. All you need is a camera and a fingerprint scanner,' said the minister.
'Home Affairs will still control the pipeline. You will still need your face and your fingerprint. We will control the safety. It is far safer to do so digitally than to have a person there.'
Schreiber said the department is engaging with long-standing banking partners to roll out the new system nationwide. Once fully implemented, the same infrastructure could allow people to access Home Affairs services through their banking apps.
'When we say 'Home Affairs at Home,' that's what we mean,' he said. 'We want to bring Home Affairs to you, instead of you standing in a queue.'
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
IOL News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
'I don't want to clap him': Helen Zille speaks out on Liam Jacobs
Helen Zille has broken her silence on Liam Jacob's shock decision to leave the Democratic Alliance (DA) in favour of the Patriotic Alliance (PA). The former party leader claimed that there were 'no hard feelings' over the young MP's defection to the opposition. Speaking to EWN this week, Helen Zille commented on former DA MP Liam Jacob's decision to suddenly leave the party for another he had publicly criticised. She said: 'I like Liam, and I got on well with Liam. I don't want to clap him in any way. Helen hinted that there were no hard feelings on her end. She continued: 'It takes many years in politics to know that getting bashed about is part of what you bought into. And to know that you mustn't take yourself too seriously, and to know that you're going to get clapped from every single angle. You just have to dust yourself and get on with it.' The DA federal council chair alluded to Liam Jacobs's age and somewhat inexperience in politics. She added, 'Young people come in and get into the spotlight and enjoy the limelight. But the minute you get the spotlight, the next thing is that you're going to have your head cut off. And you're going to have to survive it. It takes some hard knocks to get to that point. 'I say to young people that when you get disillusioned, when you get angry, just remind yourself that there has never been a single person who left the DA who wasn't sorry afterwards'. @nexwavesa #NexWaveSA #HelenZille #LiamJacobs #ActionSA #SouthAfricanPolitics #PoliticalDrama #SAnews #WesternCapePolitics #CoalitionTalks #BreakingNewsSA ♬ original sound – nexwavesa In a Facebook Live with Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie and MP Ashley Sauls last month, Liam Jacobs revealed why he chose to leave the blue party for the green one. The 24-year-old is known for his bold questions in parliament and thought-provoking videos on social media. Liam claimed that in a recent parliamentary committee meeting, during which he critiqued the leadership of the National Arts Council, Gayton said something that touched him 'deep in my soul.' Gayton McKenzie has praised Liam Jacobs's decision to join the Patriotic Alliance. Images via Facebook: @gaytonmck He said of Gayton's words: 'He said to me, 'You call me a dictator when your party doesn't have one coloured person as a minister or deputy minister, despite coloured people making up the overwhelming majority of the vote'. When he said that, it was a moment when I swallowed my breath. At that moment, I knew it was time to come home'. He added, 'I knew I was being used. 'I feel genuinely loved and welcomed here. I am finally home'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Count Me in Movement calls for reform of spaza shop regulations to support local businesses
The Count Me In Movement has decried the systemic exclusion of South African citizens and township business owners from accessing crucial government support as the nation grapples with a burgeoning informal retail sector. . Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The Count Me in Movement has taken a firm stand against the "systematic exclusion" of South Africans within the current Spaza Shop regulatory framework, calling in the process for a significant overhaul of South Africa's spaza shop regulatory system. The movement said the current system excludes township business owners from accessing crucial government support while the nation continues to grapple with a burgeoning informal retail sector. This comes after the recent government announcement of the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF), which seeks to empower eligible South African spaza shop owners in both townships and rural areas, offering them a lifeline to improve, expand, and sustain their businesses. However, the Count Me in Movement argues that many local entrepreneurs remain locked out of this initiative, primarily due to excessive compliance burdens, fragmented registration processes, and pervasive barriers within the licensing system. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ In a statement released on Friday, the movement appealed directly to Small Business Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, urging her to address these pressing challenges. They disclosed that while spaza shops play a pivotal role in township economies, a lack of streamlined and accessible compliance requirements often deters local operators from benefiting from government initiatives. "Despite playing a critical role in township economies, many of these businesses remain locked out of the Spaza Shop Support fund due to excessive compliance. burdens, fragmented registration requirements, and systematic barriers in the licensing process," it said. The movement said unregistered spaza shop owners, most of whom are undocumented foreigners have made the process very difficult for local spaza shop operators. "Adding to the challenge is the rapid proliferation of unregistered spaza shops, operated by undocumented foreign nationals, who are not subjected to the same inspections or regulatory scrutiny--creating an uneven and unfair playing field for local entrepreneurs. "Our local entrepreneurs are being set up to fail by a system that expects full compliance with scattered, expensive and inaccessible requirements. The current model disproportionately impacts South African spaza shop owners who lack the digital access, financial resources, or administrative support required to navigate complex state systems," the movement added.
![[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache.primedia-service.com%2Fmedia%2Fd5vd1huv%2Fhelen-zille-politricking2.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D630&w=3840&q=100)
![[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic-mobile-files.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com%2Feyewn.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Eyewitness News
5 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille
Zille shares her reaction to the firing of Minister Nkabane and weighs in on the unresolved issues with Health Minister Simelane while addressing the party's growing public frustration with ANC-led policy decisions, including the NHI and Expropriation Act. She reflects on John Steenhuisen's leadership and the DA's performance in national and local government. She speaks about the party's ambition to become a majority party. She also delves into succession politics and why Paul Mashatile remains a 'no-go' for the DA. She addresses the controversy around Andrew Whitfield's dismissal, and the DA's strategic positioning on foreign policy—from Washington to Zuma in Morocco. She wraps up the conversation by reflecting on racial identity politics, Liam Jacobs' departure, and the DA's evolving relationship with voters.
