The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has issued a record 4 002 964 smart ID cards during the 2025 calendar year, marking the highest annual delivery rate in the department’s history.
This achievement represents a 17% increase compared to the 3 427 468 smart ID cards issued in 2024, which was also a record-breaking year at the time.
In addition, the number of smart IDs issued in 2025 is approximately 1.3 million higher than the totals recorded in both the 2022 and 2023 calendar years.
Digital Transformation Driving Improved Service Delivery
The record performance forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ broader vision to deliver Home Affairs @ home through accelerated digital transformation.
Investments in technology upgrades and operational efficiencies at both the Department of Home Affairs and the Government Printing Works (GPW), which produces the smart ID cards, have played a key role in achieving these results.
One of the most significant improvements was the repair and stabilisation of the Online Verification Service (OVS), which had previously been underfunded and misused by external users.
By addressing these challenges, the department has improved system uptime and performance of the population register at Home Affairs offices, enabling more South Africans to access smart ID cards faster and more efficiently.
Smart IDs Improve Security and Access
“The milestone of delivering over four million smart IDs in a calendar year for the very first time 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 four million more people gained the ability to securely open a bank account, access employment, and obtain social grants in 2025,” said Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber.
The department highlighted that the accelerated rollout of smart IDs is central to its Medium-Term Development Plan. The green barcoded ID book, which the smart ID is designed to replace, has become increasingly vulnerable to fraud.
“The green bar-coded 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.”
Expansion to Bank Branches Planned
To further improve access to smart ID cards, the Department of Home Affairs is in the final stages of preparing a new digital partnership with South Africa’s banking sector.
This initiative will allow more citizens to apply for and collect smart ID cards at hundreds of bank branches nationwide, making the service more accessible to communities across the country.
The expansion is expected to further support secure identification, financial inclusion and access to employment and government services.
