When South Africa’s government announced the colossal undertaking that was the digital ID and e-passport scheme last year, we audibly scoffed. When TechCentral reported the government hoped to see these in residents’ hands before the end of 2026, we scoffed again. Audibly. We would love to be proven wrong, though.
Get your (home) affairs in order
The plan, put into action by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), hopes to take the system online and lessen South Africa’s reliance on physical identification and “ensure that services are more efficient and secure.” The eventual goal is for the MyMzansi portal to become the go-to hub for citizens to get all their important bits.
Speaking at a media briefing earlier today, Maropene Ramokgopa, of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, confirmed that the digitisation of the services was going smoothly, and that the home affairs efforts would eventually make the process easier for other government departments to implement.
Read More: Home Affairs will deliver your passport to your doorstep… one day
“The MyMzansi digital prototype was launched and is doing very well and we will be seeing that by the end of this year; the roll-out of smart IDs will also be done… If that integration is done well, we will see other departments, like basic education and the transport department, also plugging in as it relates to the issuance of licences,” she said.
If the DHA can stay true to its word, and its plans don’t grind to a halt, the first South African digital IDs could be issued. It’s worth noting that the government hasn’t committed to an end date for when it expects every resident to have a digital ID at their side, though it anticipates the entire digitisation process to be complete by 2029.
