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The rapid rollout at 300 bank branches of Smart ID applications in just over 4 months shows that DA Minister Leon Schreiber is delivering through a groundbreaking new digital partnership. Over 400,000 transactions have already been processed under this new system - applications which take just 5 minutes and require no bookings, paperwork or queuing.

South Africans can now access Home Affairs services more quickly, securely and conveniently. This makes it easier to replace an old green ID book with a Smart ID card or obtain a replacement for an ID that has been lost or stolen. An identity document is a gateway to opportunity, whether registering a company, applying for a job, accessing a social grant or student funding, registering for matric examinations, or applying for a driver’s licence.

The DA believes South Africans deserve public services that are efficient, secure, and delivered with the urgency and professionalism one would normally expect from the private sector but now coming from Government.

SmartID applications at bank branches are allowing hundreds of thousands of South Africans to switch from fraud-prone green ID Books, to the much more secure SmartIDs, at a bank branch closest to places of work, transport hubs, or shopping locations. The days of queueing on pavements in the sun or rain, for hours, are over for SmartIDs.

A functional Home Affairs system is essential for economic participation, public trust, national security, and citizens’ ability to engage efficiently with the state.

While considerable work remains to fully digitally transform Home Affairs, these reforms indicate that meaningful progress is being made.

With the DA in government, Home Affairs will continue to support practical measures that improve service delivery, combat corruption, and restore dignity to citizens accessing essential government services.

Issued by Adrian Roos MP - DA Spokesperson on Home Affairs