Pretoria: The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has issued a record 4,002,964 smart ID cards in the 2025 calendar year, marking the highest rate of delivery in the department's history. This achievement represents a 17% increase compared to the 3,427,468 smart IDs issued in 2024, which was previously a new record. According to South African Government News Agency, the 2025 performance is approximately 1.3 million more than the number of smart IDs issued during the 2023 and 2022 calendar years. This breakthrough aligns with the department's vision of delivering Home Affairs services through digital transformation. Upgrades in technology and improved efficiencies at both the Department of Home Affairs and the Government Printing Works, which produces the smart IDs, have been instrumental in this improvement. One significant upgrade has been the department's investment in repairing the Online Verification Service (OVS), previously underfunded and exploited by some external users. This correction has resulted in higher uptime and better performance of the population register at Home Affairs offices, enabling more South Africans to access smart IDs than ever before. Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber stated, "The milestone of delivering over four million smart IDs in a calendar year for the very first time demonstrates how our commitment to digital transformation is expanding inclusion and access at a scale never seen before." The minister emphasized that smart IDs are more secure than the traditional green barcoded ID book, enhancing citizens' ability to open bank accounts, access employment, and obtain social grants securely. The accelerated rollout of smart IDs is a key element of the department's Medium-Term Development Plan targets. The green bar-coded ID book, which the smart ID replaces, is much more vulnerable to fraud. To further enhance access, the department is finalizing a new digital partnership with South Africa's banking sector to allow more citizens to obtain smart IDs at additional bank branch es nationwide.
