THE Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has reported issuing a record 4 002 964 Smart ID cards in the 2025 calendar year, the highest rate of delivery in the history of the department.

“The accelerated rollout of Smart IDs is a cornerstone of the department’s Medium-Term Development Plan targets. The green barcoded ID book, which the Smart ID is intended to replace, has become a soft target for fraudsters and is estimated to be 500% more vulnerable to fraud than the Smart ID,” shared DHA spokesperson Carli Van Wyk.

The department said the increase in Smart ID cards in 2025, the highest delivery rate in the department’s history, represented a 17% increase on the 3 427 468 Smart IDs issued during 2024.

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The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said, “The milestone of delivering over 4 000 000 Smart IDs demonstrates how our commitment to digital transformation is expanding inclusion and access at a scale never seen before.

“Smart IDs are vastly more secure than the fraud-prone green barcoded ID book. Thanks to the ongoing digital transformation of Home Affairs, over 4 000 000 more people gained the ability to securely open a bank account, access employment, and obtain social grants in 2025,” Schreiber added.

To further enhance access to Smart IDs, the department said it is currently in the final phase of preparatory work for the rollout of its new digital partnership with South Africa’s banking sector, which will enable even more citizens to access Smart IDs at hundreds more bank branches around the country, close to where they live.

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