JOHANNESBURG – South Africa is gearing up to retire the old green ID book by 2029.
That’s according to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.
He says it’s time to move on from the green ID book because it is susceptible to fraud and forgery.
The department will stop production of the green ID book by the end of this year.
READ: Home Affairs pushes ahead with scrapping of green ID books
However, branches that are not yet equipped to issue smart ID cards will continue to print them as needed.
The department has issued nearly 30 million smart ID cards since 2013.
Around 18 million people are still using their green ID books.
South Africa’s banks will help move them over to smart IDs.