President Cyril Ramaphura has put South Africa’s digital identity overhaul at the heart of a new crackdown on illegal migration, announcing that the iconic green bar‑coded ID book will soon lose official recognition. Speaking from the Union Buildings on Sunday evening, the president outlined a plan to create an “intelligent population register” that will store biometric data for every resident, laying the groundwork for a fully digital ID system.
The move directly targets the legacy green ID book, a document introduced in 1980 that has become a favourite tool for identity thieves and criminal syndicates. Ramaphosa warned that the booklet “has enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal networks” and instructed the Department of Home Affairs to set a hard cutoff date after which the green book will no longer be accepted. No exact date was disclosed, but the deadline will be announced shortly.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has already earmarked 2029 as the final phase‑out year, but the president’s latest pledge adds a concrete “no‑longer‑recognised” milestone tied to immigration enforcement. Draft regulations for the new digital identity framework were open for public comment until 6 June, the day before Ramaphosa’s address, signalling that the government is moving swiftly from consultation to implementation.
The green ID book’s vulnerabilities have become starkly evident. According to identity‑verification firm VerifyNow, impersonation fraud involving the green book has surged by roughly 400 % year‑on‑year, with fraudsters increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to exploit the outdated system. Despite the rollout of smart ID cards, an estimated 16 million South Africans still rely on the green ID book for everyday transactions, making it a soft target for abuse.
The push for a digital identity overhaul gains momentum
Home Affairs has enlisted the banking sector to accelerate the migration to smart IDs, extending replacement services to 167 bank branches within just eight weeks under a new digital partnership model. To date, over 127 000 citizens have obtained a smart ID through the digital service, some completing the entire application in as little as five minutes. This rapid uptake demonstrates both demand and the practicality of a biometric‑based system.
In tandem with the ID reforms, Ramaphosa announced a crackdown on the Traffic Registration Number (TRN) – a registration required of foreign nationals who wish to buy or register vehicles. The president argued that the TRN has been misused as a surrogate ID, and the Department of Transport will issue new regulations within three months to align the TRN with national identification laws.
The president also linked the overhaul to a broader anti‑corruption drive within Home Affairs. Officials caught selling documents or facilitating unlawful entry will face dismissal and criminal prosecution, underscoring the government’s determination to cleanse the department of internal rot.
Green ID book vs. Smart ID – key differences
| Feature | Green ID Book | Smart ID (Biometric) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 1980 | 2022 (phased rollout) |
| Security level | Low – bar‑code, paper format | High – biometric data, encrypted chip |
| Fraud increase (YoY) | +400 % (identity theft) | Negligible (early reports) |
| Current users (estimated) | 16 million South Africans | 127 000+ processed digitally (as of June) |
| Replacement time | Weeks to months (manual processing) | 5 minutes (digital service) |
| Official status after 2029 | Phase‑out target – still recognised | Full legal recognition |
The table makes clear that the smart ID offers dramatically stronger security and speed, while the green book’s continued use fuels a surge in fraud. The government’s hard deadline is designed to force a rapid shift to the more secure platform.
Beyond the ID books, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the country’s commitment to modernising border control. The Border Management Authority reported intercepting more than 450 000 individuals attempting illegal entry in the past year. Investors in “modern technology, infrastructure and personnel” will see continued funding, aiming to tighten the country’s borders while the digital ID system streamlines legitimate movement.
Cabinet adopted the migration measures last week, describing them as a “comprehensive approach for migration management”. The combined strategy—phasing out the green ID book, enforcing a biometric ID register, tightening TRN usage, and bolstering border technology—signals a coordinated effort to protect South Africa’s identity ecosystem and curb illegal migration.
As the digital identity overhaul progresses, the onus now lies with citizens, banks, and government agencies to transition smoothly. The set deadline will test the nation’s capacity to replace an entrenched paper system with a secure, biometric future, and it will likely reshape how South Africans prove who they are in everyday life.