These could include various banking services, driving and vehicle-related services, social grants, education, voting and voter registration, and employment.
MyBroadband asked the Department of Home Affairs about specific services that citizens who do not replace their green ID books will lose, but it hadn’t responded by the time of publication.
Many South African citizens have refused to apply for a smart ID card, citing long queues and challenges at Home Affairs offices.
Home Affairs has addressed this through its new digital partnership agreement with banks. At the time of publication, over 400 bank branches nationwide offered smart ID services.
People have also argued that because the decision to shift to a new ID was beyond their control, they should receive their smart ID card free of charge.
The department has continued urging citizens to replace their green ID book with a smart ID card to prioritise their security. This is because the green ID book is highly vulnerable to fraud.
Smile ID’s 2024 and 2025 Digital Identity Fraud reports found that the South African green ID book was among the most targeted identity documents for fraud in Africa.
