South Africa Opens Public Comment on Draft Digital ID Rules

_{Photo credit: Jacques Nel / Unsplash.com}

South Africa has published draft regulations for its planned digital identity system, opening a public consultation that could lay the legal groundwork for a broader digital public infrastructure push.

The draft amendments, gazetted by the Department of Home Affairs on May 5, would create a framework for secure digital identity credentials that would exist alongside physical IDs rather than replace them. Written comments are open until June 6, 2026.

Under the proposal, citizens would be able to store digital versions of documents, such as identity cards, birth certificates, and marriage certificates, on their smartphones via a digital wallet. The system would also allow remote identity verification via biometric authentication. Authorities stressed that participation would remain optional, with physical documents such as the Smart ID card continuing to be valid.

The draft rules also set standards for enrolment, biometric capture, and identity assurance, while establishing a framework for data-sharing and identity verification with accredited public- and private-sector institutions. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the proposal is intended to strengthen the population registers as the country’s authoritative identity record while tightening safeguards around how personal data is accessed and shared.

The initiative forms part of South Africa’s wider digital transformation agenda. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said:

This system can greatly enhance our ability to combat identity theft, financial crimes, corruption and illegal immigration, while delivering efficient services to citizens in the comfort of their own homes and improving privacy protections and data management.