Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber calls on citizens who still have the green identity document (ID) to switch to a smart ID through the 203 bank branches that are now part of the department's digital partnership with banks.

An estimated 16-million South Africans still rely on the green ID booklet, which is prone to fraud and identity theft.

Since March 9, more than 250 000 citizens have used this service available at bank branches to obtain a replacement smart ID card.

The success of this project is enhancing access to smart ID services and accelerating efforts to replace the vulnerable green ID booklet faster than ever before.

The smart ID card was introduced in 2013.

“Replacing the vulnerable green ID with the smart ID card is essential to strengthening the integrity of South Africa’s identity system, protecting citizens against fraud and identity theft, and securing the population register that underpins citizenship, immigration and national security,” says Schreiber.

Further, the smart ID replacement service will be expanded to 750 bank branches by the end of the year.

The department will also add first-time smart ID applications, passport applications and home delivery services to all of these bank branches soon, Schreiber says.

The initiative is part of the Home Affairs @ home reform programme and citizens can apply for a smart ID through a fully biometric process that requires no paperwork, no prior booking and leaves no room for discretion.

This represents the largest reform and expansion of access to Home Affairs services since the dawn of democracy, he adds.

“Reaching more than 200 participating bank branches and processing more than 250 000 transactions in just over three months is a powerful demonstration of the progress being made through our Home Affairs @ home reform programme.

“Smart ID replacement services are now closer to all South Africans than ever before,” Schreiber says.

Before the launch of the initiative, only 248 Home Affairs offices and 32 bank branches offered smart ID replacement services.