Schreiber announces end of green ID book by 2029

HOME Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says the outdated green bar-coded ID book will be discontinued by the end of 2029, and it will stop issuing the ID book by the end of 2025 as part of a major digital transformation campaign in South Africa.

- HOPE NTANZI

Schreiber outlined his department's bold strategy to modernise services, expand access to smart ID cards, and bring Home Affairs into the digital era.

According to Schreiber, 25 million smart ID cards have already been issued, while 18 million green ID books remain in circulation. However, the green book poses serious security risks.

"It’s actually the most defrauded ID document in Africa,’ Schreiber said. “It has a large financial cost”