Schreiber unveils ‘Home Affairs @ home’ reforms

Pretoria – South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is accelerating a sweeping digital transformation programme aimed at improving service delivery, tightening national security and stimulating economic growth.

Delivering the department’s 2026 Budget Vote in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the department, together with the Border Management Authority (BMA) and Government Printing Works, had spent the past two years implementing reforms under the “Home Affairs @ home” programme.

The initiative seeks to move the department away from paper-based systems and physical office dependency towards digital and biometric-driven services.

Schreiber said the department had already expanded Smart ID replacement services to 167 bank branches nationwide within just eight weeks through a new digital partnership model with banks.

“The previous manual system had expanded to only 30 branches over a decade,” he said.

Paperwork, prior bookings and long queues

According to the Minister, more than 127 000 South Africans have already used the new digital Smart ID replacement service, with some applications taking “as little as five minutes” at participating bank branches.

The department has now set a target of making Smart ID replacement services available at 750 bank branches by the end of 2026, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Schreiber said the upgraded system eliminates “paperwork, prior bookings and long queues” by using biometric verification technology.

Home Affairs also plans to expand the digital platform to include first-time ID applications, passport services and doorstep delivery of documents.

The Minister revealed that an upgraded online booking system had been introduced after the previous platform was allegedly exploited by individuals who blocked and sold appointment slots.

He said the new system had been secured against abuse and was expected to stabilise fully within weeks.

Most defrauded documents

Schreiber also announced progress towards a Digital Identity system, which he described as “foundational national infrastructure” for South Africa’s digital economy.

The proposed Digital ID system will allow citizens to securely access Home Affairs documents and services on smartphones while enabling remote identity verification.

The Minister linked the department’s digital reforms to national security efforts, saying the Smart ID rollout would help phase out the Green ID book, which he described as “one of the most defrauded documents on the continent”.

Last year alone, Home Affairs issued a record four million Smart IDs.

Schreiber also highlighted the department’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, launched in October last year for tourists from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.

The system uses biometric data, facial recognition and machine learning technology to verify identities and travel documents.

Billions of rand

According to the Minister, the ETA system has already denied visas to more than 4 500 applicants through facial recognition and document verification checks.

The ETA programme will be expanded to additional countries and visa categories in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the BMA has announced selected bidders for a R12.5 billion public-private partnership project aimed at rebuilding South Africa’s six busiest land ports of entry, which account for 80% of border traffic.

The upgraded border infrastructure will incorporate digital border systems and implement the One-Stop Border Post concept recently approved by Parliament.

Schreiber said the department’s reforms would also support tourism and investment, adding that inefficient visa systems had previously cost the tourism sector “billions of rand”.

“The new system will help unlock new tourism markets and create jobs,” he said.