Home Affairs cracks down on smart ID and passport booking syndicates
The Department of Home Affairs has explained why it recently made a significant change to its online booking platform for smart IDs and passports.
Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber announced impending upgrades to the MyHomeAffairsOnline platform in May 2026 to deal with abuse by unscrupulous individuals.
In an update on 18 June 2026, the department announced the official launch of the upgraded platform and the introduction of enhanced security measures.
These included the requirement to link ID numbers and email addresses to profiles, helping to stop syndicates and malicious individuals from blocking appointment slots.
“The upgrade follows years of abuse of the previous booking platform by syndicates and unscrupulous individuals,” the department said.
After blocking appointment slots, these individuals sold them to desperate South African citizens who could not obtain an appointment.
“As a result, many South Africans struggled to secure appointments for essential Home Affairs services,” the department said.
The Home Affairs minister said these upgrades marked a significant milestone in the department’s digital transformation journey to improve service delivery and combat fraud.
“For too long, ordinary South Africans were disadvantaged by criminals who exploited weaknesses in the previous booking system to hoard appointment slots and sell them for profit,” Schreiber said.
MyBroadband found the new registration process was relatively straightforward. Users must create a profile with their email address and phone number and set a password.
Once signed in, users must enter their South African ID number to book an appointment slot. On the next page, the applicant’s details must be entered.
This required full names, including the applicant’s middle name, if one appears in their identity document.
Users can then proceed to the next page, where they select an appointment slot, update their details, or view all active appointments for the linked ID number.
Booking an appointment required selecting a province and city, then choosing a Home Affairs branch nearby with live-capture facilities.
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