Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has urged South Africans to switch to smart ID cards, warning that green ID books remain vulnerable to fraud. Government plans to expand smart ID services to 750 bank branches by year-end.
The Department of Home Affairs is intensifying efforts to phase out South Africa’s green barcoded ID books, with an estimated 16 million citizens still relying on the outdated documents.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the department is encouraging South Africans to switch to smart ID cards, which offer stronger security features and are significantly more difficult to manipulate for fraudulent purposes.
Schreiber said studies have shown that green ID books are frequently exploited in identity-related crimes across the continent.
“These documents are vulnerable to fraud because the photograph can be removed and replaced with relative ease. If an ID book is stolen or lost, criminals can alter the photograph and use it to commit identity fraud,” he said.
