End of the line: Here’s when the old SA green ID book will be discontinued
· Citizen
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has declared “the end of the line” for South Africa’s notorious green ID book, announcing that production will cease on 31 March 2027 as part of a radical digital transformation drive.
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Schreiber made the remarks at the Home Affairs’ Quantum Leap: A Vision for the Future of Government event at Constitution Hill on Thursday.
No more green ID books
Schreiber said the move marked a historic break with decades of inefficiency and fraud.
“The continued use of the Green ID Book is irreconcilable with the functioning of a modern society. On 31 March 2027, the machines that produce this booklet will be permanently shut down and decommissioned,” Schreiber told delegates.
Most defrauded
The minister described the green book as one of the most defrauded documents on the continent, a magnet for identity theft and illegal immigration.
He said the rollout of Smart ID cards and the new Digital ID system would finally give every South African secure proof of identity.
“For the first time ever, every single eligible person will be able to obtain a secure Smart ID card. This is a quantum leap into the future for our country,” Schreiber said.
Digital transformation at pace
Schreiber’s keynote went far beyond the symbolic scrapping of the green book. He outlined a sweeping reform agenda that he said was already ahead of schedule:
- Smart ID expansion: More than 515 bank branches now offer biometric Smart ID replacements in five minutes, with more than 822 000 citizens already using the service. By the end of 2026, this is expected to expand to more than 1 000 service points.
- Courier delivery: For the first time, IDs and passports will be delivered directly to citizens’ homes.
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): Visa processing times have been cut from weeks to 24 hours, which Schreiber said would boost tourism and economic growth. The ETA will soon cover study and work visas, which is expected to eliminate fraud and delays.
- Digital ID prototype: Schreiber unveiled South Africa’s first working Digital Identity credential, bound to his own smartphone. “Surveillance is the state watching the citizen. What we are building is the opposite: the citizen watching the state and other users of their data,” he explained.
- ePassport rollout: Plans are underway for a biometrically‑secured ePassport readable at electronic gates worldwide, aimed at securing more visa‑free access for South Africans.
- Border modernisation: A R12.5 billion public‑private partnership will rebuild six of the busiest land ports into “no‑stop” border posts, with automated gates that eliminate bribery.
Documenting the undocumented
Perhaps the most ambitious reform announced was a historic campaign to document millions of South Africans who remain without formal recognition three decades into democracy.
“By the end of this administration in 2029, every last South African citizen will be formally documented for the first time in our history,” Schreiber pledged.
Biometrics
The campaign will use mobile biometric technology to reach rural and underserved communities, ensuring that no citizen is excluded from recognition in the country of their birth.
Restoring dignity
Schreiber said the reforms are not just about efficiency but about dignity.
“By eliminating the fraud‑prone Green ID book and documenting every last citizen, we are restoring the hope that South Africa can be fixed – and delivering dignity for all,” he declared.