Home Affairs minister defends digital ID rollout in South Africa
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber has defended the rollout of digital IDs in South Africa, stating that the proposed system is designed to empower South Africans, not surveil them.
The department's draft amendments to South...
Home Affairs using handheld devices to identify illegal immigrants in the field
The Department of Home Affairs will accelerate the use of handheld mobile devices to verify the legal status of foreign nationals in South Africa while officials are out in the field.
According to Dr Leon...
Facial scanning rollout out at all South African ports of entry
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says that all major South African ports of entry will feature facial biometric verification technology by 31 March 2027, following successful trials of the system at airports.
The upgrades were...
Home Affairs rolls out upgrades to its Smart ID booking system
Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber has announced significant upgrades to his department's branch appointment booking system, which had been abused by "unscrupulous individuals".
The booking system, launched in 2021, enabled...
Woman waits 11 years for an ID because her fingerprints were taken by someone else
Lesego Nono Cooper can’t register her daughter for her matric exams, she can’t renew her children’s passports, she can’t even obtain funeral cover for her family should something happen to her.
That is because...
New rules for digital identity credentials in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs published draft amendments to South Africa's identification regulations on Monday outlining the issuance of digital identity credentials to South Africans.
This proposed digital ID will be an additional...
Change of plans for green ID books in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs has highlighted the issuance of smart ID cards to first-time applicants turning 16 in the 2026/27 financial year.
This is according to its Annual Performance Plan for the financial year, which aims to issue smart...
Capitec adds 17 more bank branches with smart ID card support
Capitec added 17 more branches with support for smart ID card applications in the past week, increasing its total coverage for the service to 47 locations.
The expansion forms part of a digital partnership with the Department of...
This is the beginning of the end for long queues at Home Affairs — Schreiber
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says turnaround times for smart ID cards and passports were cut down by 66.7% in 2025, and people will soon be able to apply for a smart ID in as little as three minutes.
In his...
Plan to stop printing green ID books in 2026
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has said that his department wants a full digital ID system operational by the 2029 general elections, and hopes to stop producing green ID books from 2026.
This is part of a drive to digitise the Department of...
Big changes for Home Affairs
Home Affairs has expanded its partnership with banks to offer smart ID and passport services at more branches and eventually from within banking apps.
At the same time, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is spearheading government's MyMzansi...
TymeBank adding smart ID card and passport services
TymeBank will allow its customers to apply for smart ID cards and passports via its kiosks and mobile app, after becoming the eighth bank to join Home Affairs' new digital partnership model.
Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber said the...
Visa oopsie costs South Africa R400-million Netflix deal
The new Screen Talent and Global Entertainment Scheme (STAGES) digital visa is designed to simplify visa access for filmmakers who want to do business in the country.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the visa scheme while...
Smart ID cards available for permanent residents and naturalised citizens from Monday
Over 1.4 million naturalised citizens and permanent residents in South Africa will be able to apply for smart ID cards from Monday, 12 May 2025.
That is according to recent feedback from Home Affairs minister...
700,000 smart ID cards gathering dust
There has been a 567% increase in uncollected smart ID cards across Department of Home Affairs (DHA) offices in South Africa in about four months.
DHA minister Leon Schreiber revealed this radical increase in recent feedback to the Sunday Times.
DA launches urgent contempt of court case against ANC
The DA has launched legal action seeking a court order finding the ANC in contempt of court and compelling the ruling party to hand over a "crashed" laptop with cadre deployment records to an independent IT expert.
DA MP Leon Schreiber...
Government blows R93 million on minister's homes
Public works and infrastructure minister Sihle Zikalala has revealed that his department spent R93 million on supporting cabinet members' homes between 2019 and 2022.
Responding to questions from DA MP Leon Schreiber, Zikalala acknowledged that...
Minister of Electricity could cost South Africa over R37 million
South Africa’s new electricity minister could cost the country more than R37 million a year, according to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) public service and administration specialist Leon Schreiber.
President Cyril Ramaphosa...
Government officials splurge R1.3 billion on catering, accommodation
South Africa’s government officials, including ministers and deputy ministers, have spent over R1.3 billion on food, accommodation and entertainment over the past three years, City Press reported.
The figures were revealed in...