16-million SA ID holders finally have a deadline to AIM for

All remaining SA ID holders with green barcoded booklets now have a phase-out window to work towards. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has more or less stopped hedging its bets on the green ID book. And Deputy Director-General for Operations Thulani Mavuso recently delivered the clearest picture yet of what’s coming, and exactly how to get ahead of it …

SA ID HOLDERS

Last week Mavuso confirmed that the barcoded ID booklet will be phased out within two years. Thus placing the effective cut-off for Smart card IDs in 2028. No wonder when you see the new ID application process expanding left, right and centre. For months, Home Affairs has talked about phasing out the green ID book in two distinct ways.

First, a date when the department stops producing green ID books entirely, mostly for naturalised citizens. Second, when SA ID holders who still have their booklet lose legal validity altogether. However, only the minister can announce the latter. And this is yet to be formally gazetted, nor is it a process to be undertaken lightly …

WHY SWITCH TO SMART ID CARDS?

As ever, the urgency behind the switch is fraud, and lots of it. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has called the green ID book ‘the most forged document in Africa.’ The physical photographs are simple to replace/tamper with and this reportedly costs the country billions annually. It is understood that 16-million South Africans still rely on the outdated document.

However, the DHA has issued approximately 34-million Smart ID cards since the programme first launched. This is split between 25-million reissues and 9.7-million new applications from young South Africans turning 16 for the first time. More recently, the department confirmed it had issued 4 million new Smart cards to SA ID holders in the last financial year. The highest number to date. At the centre of this success is bank branch partnership. From 250, the DHA has been expanding to nearly 750 branches.

HOW SA ID HOLDERS CAN APPLY FOR NEW DOCUMENT

• First, confirm your eligibility for a new Smart ID card.
• You must be a South African citizen by birth, aged 16 and older.
• Continue if you are upgrading from an old green book, replacing a lost or damaged ID, or applying for the first time.
• Register on eHomeAffairs (link above) using your ID number, a valid email address and South African cellphone number, verified via OTP.
• Log in and select ‘Apply for Smart ID Card.’ Complete the online form accordingly.
• Upload a digital copy of your current ID document (JPEG or PDF, under 2MB)
• Choose your biometric appointment location: Home Affairs live capture office, or one of the participating bank branches (ABSA, FNB, Nedbank or Standard Bank).
• Book your appointment via My Home Affairs Online by clicking HERE.
• Attend the appointment with your current ID document and booking confirmation. Note that biometrics capture takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
• First-time applicants 16 and older, and senior citizens 60 and older pay zero fee. However, replacements and upgrades do cost R140.
• Collect your card promptly once notified by SMS, typically within two to three weeks.

If you’re assisting an elderly or housebound relative, contact your local Home Affairs office, ward councillor. You may be able to request mobile or in-person assistance, rather than waiting for ages in a queue.

But what do you think? Do you think SA ID holders are going to embrace the new Smart ID card? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …