The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it is making progress ahead of schedule in its digital transformation agenda to reform all systems and processes by decentralising access to services through technology.

The reform programme, started in 2024, to use technology to bring services directly to citizens is delivering measurable results and more ambitious reforms will be introduced.

“By driving innovation and embracing digital transformation, we are delivering well ahead of schedule, and we will not rest until we complete this work to deliver dignity for all,” says Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber.

The department highlighted some of the projects it delivered over the past two years.

In terms of digitalising and securing the immigration system, the Electronic Travel Authorisation has introduced facial recognition and advanced document verification to modernise visa processing.

Following its successful rollout to travellers from four countries, it will shortly be expanded to all visa-required countries and additional visa categories, the DHA says.

Further, draft regulations have been published for South Africa's secure Digital Identity system, which will bring services directly onto smartphones. The next phase will see the final regulations promulgated and the Digital ID prototype launched, it says.

The DHA also points out that it has expanded access to smart identity cards through its digital partnership model with the banking sector, which resulted in more than 300 000 applications processed in four months.

During the 2025/26 financial year, the department issued four-million smart identity cards, which exceeded the then-yearly average by 1.3-million, to replace the green bar-coded identity document booklets.

Additionally, following an order from the Constitutional Court, Home Affairs delivered an automated citizenship reinstatement portal and rolled out dedicated service centres for citizens abroad to expand access and cut turnaround times.

In the next phase of work, smart identity document and passport applications will be digitalised for citizens abroad in the same manner that the digital partnership has done with the banking sector domestically, the DHA says.

Further, enforcement has been strengthened by enhanced technological capabilities at the Border Management Authority (BMA), with lawful inland deportations having increased by 46%.

The recruitment of additional immigration officers and border guards will further strengthen the enforcement of South Africa's immigration laws, the DHA says.

Meanwhile, in terms of restoring the department's and its agencies' integrity, action against corruption has resulted in 98 dismissals, 40 arrests and ten convictions across Home Affairs and the BMA.

The next phase will focus on fully implementing the Special Investigating Unit's recommendations to stamp out corruption, the department says.