South Africa Sets Record with Over 4 Million Smart IDs Issued in 2025, Marking Largest Annual Delivery Ever
This achievement reflects the department’s ongoing digital reforms and efforts to improve service delivery, ensuring faster and more efficient access to essential identity services for South African citizens.
The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa has achieved a record-breaking milestone in 2025 by delivering over 4 million Smart IDs, marking the highest annual issuance in the country’s history. A total of 4,002,946 Smart IDs were issued, representing a 17% increase compared to the 3,427,468 cards delivered in 2024, which had previously set the annual record.
This achievement reflects the department’s ongoing digital reforms and efforts to improve service delivery, ensuring faster and more efficient access to essential identity services for South African citizens. Over the past five years, the issuance of Smart IDs has steadily increased from 1.9 million in 2021 to 4 million in 2025, demonstrating consistent growth and operational improvements.
The milestone highlights the success of initiatives aimed at modernizing the issuance process, reducing backlogs, and enhancing the overall experience for citizens interacting with the department. The achievement underscores the government’s commitment to leveraging technology to deliver critical services with greater efficiency and reliability.
