SA Sets 2028 Deadline to Replace Green ID Books with Smart ID Cards

• Home Affairs officially confirmed that green ID books will be phased out within the coming years, with roughly 16 million still in circulation
• Deputy Director-General Thulani Mavuso urged South Africans not to wait until the deadline to apply for their Smart ID cards
• Home Affairs has already issued around 34 million Smart ID cards, but 341 000 remain uncollected nationwide

South Africans still holding onto the old green ID book now have a firm deadline to work with. Home Affairs has confirmed the document will be phased out within two years, placing the cut-off around 2028.

The announcement came from Deputy Director-General for Operations Thulani Mavuso, who made the timeline official when speaking to the media last week. Mavuso said:

"We have to collect all those documents because in the next two years, the green SA ID book will no longer be functional."

He also cautioned holders not to leave their applications to the last minute.

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Why the green ID book is being retired

The green ID book has long been flagged as the most forged identity document on the African continent. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has spoken openly about the scale of the problem, noting that the physical photograph embedded in the old books is relatively easy to tamper with. Approximately 16 million South Africans still carry the document, and the fraud it enables continues to cost the country billions of rands every year.

Schreiber also pointed out that nearly a third of Home Affairs offices can no longer process the green ID book at all. Smart ID cards, by contrast, carry digital security features that make fraud significantly harder to pull off.

Where things stand on Smart ID rollout

The department has already issued roughly 34 million Smart ID cards since the programme launched, including around 25 million reissues for existing holders and approximately 10 million first-time applications from young people turning 16.

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However, about 341 000 cards remain uncollected at offices across the country. Mavuso noted that most of these belong to teenagers who applied but never returned to pick up their cards, and he urged parents to ensure their children follow through.

To speed up access, Home Affairs partnered with commercial banks from 2024, turning more than 450 branches into application and collection points. Cards are still printed centrally in Pretoria, but the bank network means South Africans can apply and collect much closer to home.

How to replace your green ID book

Eligible South Africans can apply through the eHomeAffairs portal. The process involves registering a profile, completing an online form, uploading a copy of the green ID book, and booking a biometric appointment at either a Home Affairs office or a participating bank branch, including ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank.

The biometric session, which captures fingerprints and a digital photo, takes around 20 minutes. Smart ID cards are typically ready for collection within two to three weeks of the appointment.

First-time applicants aged 16 and older, as well as pensioners over 60, pay no fee. Replacing an existing document costs R140.

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Read the full South African article here.

More Briefly News stories on IDs

• A viral video shows officials discussing allegations surrounding an alleged ID theft case linked to Chidimma Adetshina’s mother during a committee hearing.
• Home Affairs has expanded Smart ID access to naturalised citizens and permanent residents, giving more than 1.4 million previously excluded people access to the cards.
• A 31-year-old foreign woman was reportedly found at a Pretoria SASSA office allegedly using a fake South African ID to apply for a child support grant.

Source: Briefly News