South Africa's green ID book — a paper document that is been around since 1980 — now has a firm expiry date. From 31 March 2028, it will no longer be recognised as a valid identity document anywhere in the country.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber made the announcement on 1 October 2026, setting a harder deadline than the 2029 target he'd previously floated. Production of the booklet stops even earlier — on 31 March 2027 — after which Home Affairs will shut down and decommission the machines that print it.
14.7 Million South Africans Still on Green Books
The scale of the challenge is significant. About 14.7 million citizens and permanent residents still hold only a green ID book, down from 16 million — a drop Schreiber attributes directly to the bank partnership that is been rolling out smart ID services across the country.
Schreiber has not minced words about the old document. He describes the green ID book as "one of the most defrauded identity documents on the continent" and says its continued use is irreconcilable with a modern society. The booklet uses a manually attached photograph and offers little protection against tampering.
Banks Are Carrying the Weight of the Rollout
The entire 2028 deadline hinges on the bank partnership working at scale. 515 bank branches currently offer walk-in smart ID replacements, with more than 822,000 people having used the service since it launched in March 2026.
Capitec has been the standout performer, processing over 594,000 applications at 248 branches. Standard Bank hit 100 smart ID branches in August. Absa launched the first bank-based mobile unit for smart ID renewals in July, taking the service to areas that do not have a permanent branch setup. FNB expanded its smart ID services to more branches in April.
Before the current government took office, only 214 locations offered smart ID replacements nationwide. Schreiber says that number will cross 1,000 service points by the end of 2026.
Bank branches connect directly to Home Affairs systems through a secure digital gateway — the same infrastructure underpinning South Africa's broader digital identity push. The smart ID card, which launched in 2013, stores fingerprint biometrics and personal details on a chip, and can be physically inspected for tampering.
Groups Previously Excluded Are Now Being Brought In
Before production of the green ID book ends in March 2027, Home Affairs plans to open smart ID card access to naturalised citizens, permanent residents, and South Africans living abroad — groups that have historically been excluded from the process. That is a meaningful shift, especially for the diaspora and long-term residents who've been locked out of upgrades until now.
Schreiber Demos a Digital ID App Live
The minister also gave South Africans their clearest look yet at what a digital ID could look like. On 1 October, Schreiber opened the MyMzansi app on his own phone, confirmed his identity with his thumbprint, switched off his ID number, and shared selected personal details with an official via a QR code — all live.
He is been careful to frame the digital option as a verification tool, not a digital photo of your ID card. The app will also carry a wallet for documents like birth and marriage certificates. Critically, Schreiber says digital ID in South Africa will remain voluntary — the physical smart ID card stays available for anyone who prefers it.
Schreiber has flagged plans to extend the same biometric technology used for smart IDs to birth registration and passport renewals, suggesting the infrastructure being built now has a much wider ambition than replacing the green book alone.
For the roughly 14.7 million South Africans still carrying a green ID book, the clock is running. They have until 31 March 2028 — and a growing network of bank branches — to make the switch.