South Africa Advances Digital Identity Rollout with Biometric and Smartphone-Based ID System Proposal

The South African Minister of Home Affairs,  Dr Leon Schreiber, has gazetted draft amended regulations under the Identification Act of 1997 for public comment, with submissions open until 6 June 2026. The proposed regulatory changes are aimed at establishing a framework for the introduction of a national Digital Identity system in South Africa.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the draft regulations seek to introduce secure Digital Identity credentials that will operate alongside existing physical identity documents. The system will allow citizens to store and access digital versions of official documents such as identity cards, birth certificates, and marriage certificates on their mobile devices, while also enabling remote identity verification through biometric authentication.

The Department emphasised that the Digital Identity system will be optional, with physical documents such as Smart ID cards continuing to remain valid and in use. The digital system is intended to complement, rather than replace, current identity infrastructure.

The draft amendments also outline key regulatory foundations for the system, including standards for enrolment, biometric capture, and identity assurance. In addition, they aim to support interoperability across both public and private sector platforms, enabling broader digital service delivery while strengthening safeguards around the use and sharing of personal identity data in line with existing legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act of 2013.

The reforms further reinforce the population register as the central authoritative record of identity and civic status in South Africa. Authorities say this will help ensure consistency, security, and improved governance of identity data across systems.

Dr Schreiber said the proposed Digital Identity system represents a major step toward modernising government services, describing it as a key component of the vision to deliver “Home Affairs at home.” He noted that the system is expected to improve service efficiency, enhance privacy protections, and strengthen efforts to combat identity theft, financial crime, corruption, and illegal immigration.

He also confirmed that the department is working with partners across government, including The Presidency, to align the initiative with the broader Digital Transformation Roadmap aimed at digitising public services.

Members of the public, civil society organisations, industry stakeholders, and other interested parties have been invited to review the draft regulations and submit written comments before the 6 June 2026 deadline, ahead of final adoption.