A new digital ID is coming to South Africa — here’s how it works

South Africa: Green ID Book Becomes Invalid on 31 March 2028 — Production Ends a Year Earlier

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber set 31 March 2028 as the green ID book’s last valid day; production ends in 2027 and 14.7 million people must switch.

A new digital ID is coming to South Africa — here’s how it works

South Africa's green ID book gets an official end date

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced the official date when green ID books will stop being a valid identity document.

South Africa Sets Firm Deadline to Retire Green ID Books

The familiar green bar-coded identity book is officially entering its final chapter. In a decisive move to modernise the country’s identity systems, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that 31 March 2028 will be the final deadline for South Africans to replace the decades-old booklet with a biometric Smart ID […] The post South Africa Sets Firm Deadline to Retire Green ID Books appeared first on .

South Africa Digital ID: How the new system works

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has unveiled the first working prototype of South Africa’s new Digital ID system, offering a glimpse of how identity services could eventually move from Home Affairs branches to smartphones. Schreiber demonstrated the system on October 1, 2026, at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg during the launch of the department’s “Quantum Leap” […]

Green ID Book’s Final Days: South Africa Sets 2028 Deadline for Millions

South Africa’s long-standing green barcoded identity book is approaching its final chapter, with Home Affairs announcing when the document will stop being recognised as valid identification. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the new timeline on Thursday, 1 October 2026, during the launch of the department’s Quantum Leap programme. Under the plan, existing green ID […]