South Africa’s move toward a fully digital identification system has taken a major step forward after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) completed a long-overdue upgrade to its ID verification system.
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The system, which plays a crucial role in verifying identities across government and business sectors, has struggled with inefficiencies for years, often causing delays and disruptions in services. However, the latest upgrade has drastically improved its reliability, paving the way for faster processing and a smoother transition toward a national digital ID.
Government agencies, including the South African Social Security Agency and National Treasury, rely on the verification system to confirm identities using biometrics linked to the National Population Register. Banks, insurers and telecom providers also use the system when opening new accounts or issuing contracts.
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However, inefficiencies in the system led to failure rates as high as 50%, forcing many institutions to resort to manual verification processes that significantly slowed down operations. In some cases, responses took up to 24 hours and were often riddled with errors, as reported by BusinessTech.
The DHA has now completed testing on the upgraded system, reducing the error rate to just 1%. With these improvements, the system is ready for full-scale rollout, promising faster and more reliable ID verification for both public and private sector users.
While government agencies will continue to access the system for free, private companies will now face increased fees to use the service. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber recently gazetted the new pricing structure, set to take effect from 1 April 2025.
Schreiber explained that these fee adjustments, the first in over a decade, will help fund the maintenance of the upgraded system without putting additional strain on public finances.
‘The roll out of a reliable, efficient and secure verification service supports both the public and private sectors to improve service delivery,’ said Schreiber.
The upgrade also marks a significant step toward South Africa’s digital identity transformation. Schreiber emphasised that a secure and efficient population register is the foundation for launching a digital ID platform.
Since taking office, the minister has prioritised modernising Home Affairs services, including fast-tracking the rollout of Smart IDs. The department aims to make Smart ID services available to all qualifying South Africans by the end of 2025, with a long-term goal of completely replacing the outdated green ID book.
Currently, around 18 million South Africans still need to transition to Smart IDs. Schreiber is working to strengthen partnerships with local banks to increase access, as financial institutions have previously raised concerns about the reliability of Home Affairs’ digital infrastructure. The new system upgrade is expected to ease these concerns and facilitate wider adoption.
With these changes, South Africa is taking a crucial step toward a more efficient and tech-driven identity system, ensuring faster access to essential services while moving closer to a fully digital future.
Article originally published by Cape Town ETC.
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