South Africa to phase out green ID books within two years

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is accelerating the transition from green barcoded identity booklets to smart ID cards. Thulani Mavuso, the deputy director-general for operations, indicated that the green ID books could become invalid within the next two years, potentially setting an effective cut-off for the old documents by 2028.

The Government Printing Works (GPW) produced over one million smart ID cards during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. At the current production rate, the department aims to replace the approximately 16 million remaining green ID books within about four years. The shift is driven by the need to combat fraud; Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has described the green ID book as ‘the most forged document in Africa,’ noting that tampering with physical photographs costs the country billions annually.

Since the smart ID program launched, the department has issued approximately 34 million cards, consisting of 25 million reissues and 9.7 million new applications for citizens turning 16. Recent quarterly figures show the department exceeded targets for both first-time applications and replacements.