South Africans who still rely on the familiar green barcoded ID book can continue using it for now, as the Department of Home Affairs has not yet announced an official date on which the document will cease to be recognised.
Government has, however, made it clear that the green ID book is being phased out as part of a wider digital transformation programme aimed at improving service delivery, strengthening national security and reducing identity fraud.
Presenting the Department of Home Affairs’ 2026 Budget Vote, Minister Leon Schreiber said the department’s partnership with banks is rapidly expanding access to Smart ID cards for the estimated 16 million South Africans who still hold green ID books.
“Our digital partnership model with the banking sector is rapidly expanding the ability of the 16 million South Africans who still hold Green ID books to switch to the more-secure Smart ID,” Schreiber said.
He described the green ID book as a major security risk.
“The Green ID book is often cited as the most defrauded document on the African continent. It sits at the heart of identity theft and illegal immigration,” he said.
According to the minister, the accelerated Smart ID rollout provides a clear path towards eventually retiring the green ID book.
“By rapidly scaling-up access to the Smart ID, Home Affairs finally has a clear roadmap towards ensuring that every South African can switch away from the Green ID book, enabling us to eventually stop recognising the Green ID as a valid form of identification.”
Within eight weeks of launching a new digital partnership model with banks, Smart ID replacement services expanded to 167 bank branches nationwide – compared to just 30 branches over the previous decade. More than 127 000 South Africans have already used the new digital replacement service, with some applications taking as little as five minutes.
Home Affairs has also increased its target to make Smart ID replacement services available at 750 bank branches by the end of 2026, with a particular focus on rural and underserved communities. The upgraded system eliminates paperwork, prior bookings and long queues by relying on biometric verification technology.
The department issued a record four million Smart ID cards last year and is simultaneously developing a Digital Identity system that will allow citizens to securely access Home Affairs services and official documents on their smartphones while enabling remote biometric authentication.
Schreiber believes the combined digital initiatives will significantly improve the integrity of South Africa’s identity system.
“All three of these biometrically powered systems, the ETA, the eradication of the green ID book, and the introduction of digital ID is methodically cleaning up South Africa’s population register.”
Despite the accelerated rollout, no official deadline has been announced for when green barcoded ID books will become invalid.
Until the Department of Home Affairs confirms such a date, the green ID book remains a valid form of identification for South Africans. (MALISSA SPIES)
Green ID books on their way out
