In just over seven months, more than one million South Africans have used the Department of Home Affairs’ digital measures to obtain Smart ID cards.  

The department announced that 1,002,773 citizens had accessed its Home Affairs @ home service through 669 participating bank branches since the digital partnership model was launched on 9 March. 

The department added that the initiative has expanded the number of national service points to 873, representing a 308% increase from the 214 permanent Home Affairs offices inherited by the Government of National Unity. 

The process is fully digitalised and secured through biometric technology, with an average application taking approximately five minutes to complete. 

“We are deeply inspired by the scale at which the public has embraced our Home Affairs @ home reforms,” said Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.

He said the reforms were improving security, reducing queues and paperwork, and helping combat identity theft. 

The department plans to extend services at participating banks to include first-time Smart ID applications, passports and home delivery. Within months, these services are expected to be available at more than 1,000 bank branches nationwide. Schreiber added that this will complement the Digital ID system, announced earlier this month. 

“This latest milestone also marks an important step forward for the Department’s campaign to replace the 14.7 million fraud-prone Green ID Books that are still in circulation… the Department will cease production of the Green ID Book on 31 March 2027 and withdraw its recognition as a valid form of identification by 31 March 2028,” read the department’s statement.  

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South Africans can find participating bank branches through the department’s online portal at myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za. 

“This milestone serves as unequivocal proof that our focus on the wholesale digital transformation of all departmental processes is rapidly addressing long-standing challenges. Through this reform programme, we are transforming security, eliminating queues and paperwork, combatting identity theft, and redefining the efficiency of public service delivery, all at once,” said Schreiber.