The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) reached a milestone when it issued 4 002 964 smart ID cards during 2025, the highest delivery rate since the smart ID system was introduced.
According to the South African Government News Agency, the figure is a 17% increase compared to the 3 427 468 smart IDs issued in 2024, which was itself a record year at the time. The 2025 total is also about 1.3m higher than the numbers issued in 2023 and 2022.
The department said the breakthrough reflects steady progress under its vision to deliver Home Affairs @ home through an accelerated programme of digital transformation.
Improvements in technology and operational efficiency at the DHA and the Government Printing Works (GPW), which produces the smart ID cards, were vital in driving the increase.
A major intervention was repairing and stabilising the online verification service, which had previously been underfunded and abused by some external users.
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The DHA said restoring the system had improved the uptime and performance of the population register, enabling more efficient processing of applications. Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the milestone demonstrated the impact of their digital transformation agenda.
“The milestone of delivering over 4m smart IDs in a year for the first time demonstrates that our commitment to digital transformation is expanding inclusion and access.
“More than four million more people could securely open a bank account, access employment and obtain social grants in 2025,” he added.
The minister said the accelerated rollout was a cornerstone of the DHA’s medium-term development plan.
He noted that the green barcoded ID book, which the smart ID is replacing, is a soft target for fraudsters and about 500% more vulnerable to fraud than smart IDs.
The department is preparing for a new digital partnership with SA’s banking sector that will allow more citizens to apply for smart IDs at hundreds of bank branches nationwide, closer to where they live.
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