Warning to people who have not replaced their green ID book in South Africa

South Africa has yet to set a final date for invalidating the green ID book. Citizens who have not replaced their old booklet with a smart ID will lose access to critical services when the time comes.

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.

According to the firm, national IDs were frequently targeted because they are the most common form of government-recognised identification and are mandatory for most adults.

It added that, in March 2024, fraud rates for the South African green ID booklet were 500% higher than for the smart ID card.

However, failing to transition to the smart ID card will arguably pose a bigger risk for South Africans when the government invalidates the green ID book.

These citizens will lose access to many critical services that require valid identity documentation, including banking, driving licence services, and the renewal of essential documents.

The Department of Home Affairs alluded to this on a webpage urging South Africans to get their smart ID as soon as they turn 16.

Access to jobs, housing, education, banking, and healthcare blocked

When the green ID booklet is no longer accepted as valid identification, South Africans will require a smart ID to access various services.

Copies of identity documents can be required for access to housing, education, and healthcare services, as well as when applying for a driving licence or a job.

Copies may also be required when entering into business agreements or when registering with state support agencies such as the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

When the green ID book is no longer valid, these institutions will no longer accept copies of the older document, blocking citizens without smart IDs from accessing these services.

Head of the Statelessness Unit at Lawyers for Human Rights, Thandeka Chauke, said people without valid identity documents faced far-reaching consequences.

She was referring to the government’s blocking of over 700,000 South African identity documents. The holders were often unaware that their IDs weren’t valid until they walked into a bank, for example.

“We’d find that many of our clients would have walked into the bank, would have tried to renew their driver’s licence and passport, and then to find that their ID has been invalidated,” Chauke said.

The challenges South Africans without valid IDs face can extend beyond them and significantly impact their families.

“Those who are parents have been put out of a job and have no means to look after their families,” said Chauke.

These parents will likely also struggle to register their children, who end up inheriting the documentation issues.