On Thursday, October 1, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, announced that as of March 31, 2028 the Green ID books would officially cease to be recognised as a valid form of identification.

Schreiber added that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will cease production of the Green ID Book by 31 March 31, 2027.

“On this date, the machines that produce this booklet will be permanently shut down and decommissioned. Importantly, prior to March 31, 2027, the Department will enable the remaining cohort of naturalised citizens and permanent residents, as well as South African citizens abroad, to also obtain Smart IDs,” he said.

Also read: Government moves closer to scrapping green ID books

He also cited that independent research had found that the Green ID book was one of the most fraudulent documents on the entire African continent.

“Because it is paper-based and contains a manual photograph that can easily be replaced or manipulated, this document sits at the core of the scourge of identity theft in our country. It is also a critical pull factor for illegal immigrants seeking to obtain fraudulent papers,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber cautioned, “Following the end of Green ID book production in March next year, the 14.7 million South African citizens and permanent residents who still hold only a Green ID book will have a further 12 months to make the switch to the Smart ID.”

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