Home Affairs Shatters Records with 4 Million Smart IDs Delivered in 2025

Image: Western Cape Government

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has reached a historic milestone in its digital transformation journey, officially issuing 4,002,964 Smart ID Cards during the 2025 calendar year. This achievement marks the highest delivery rate in the department’s history and signals a significant shift in the accessibility of secure identification for South Africans.

The 2025 figure represents a 17% increase over the previous 2024 record of 3.4 million, and a staggering jump of 1.3 million more cards than were issued in either 2022 or 2023.

The Engine of Digital Transformation

This breakthrough is being credited to the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) strategic focus on "Home Affairs @ home." Key to this success was a dual-pronged approach to infrastructure:

• Technology Upgrades: Intensive efficiency improvements at both the DHA and the Government Printing Works (GPW).

• The OVS Overhaul: Critical investment into the Online Verification Service (OVS). By repairing this previously underfunded system and curbing external abuse, the department achieved higher uptime and a more stable connection to the population register, allowing offices to process applications faster than ever before.

  
  

Securing the Future

The accelerated rollout is a primary objective of the department’s Medium-Term Development Plan. Transitioning away from the legacy green barcoded ID book is no longer just a matter of modernisation, it is a matter of national security. Current estimates suggest the older books are 500% more vulnerable to fraud than the Smart ID.

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, emphasized the social impact of this milestone:

“Our commitment to digital transformation is expanding inclusion at a scale never seen before. Over four million more people gained the ability to securely open bank accounts, access employment, and obtain social grants in 2025 alone.”

Coming Soon: Smart IDs at Your Local Bank

Building on this momentum, the DHA is entering the final preparatory phase of a massive digital partnership with South Africa’s banking sector. This initiative will soon allow citizens to apply for and collect their Smart IDs at hundreds of bank branches nationwide, bringing the department’s services closer to where people live and work.