Over 1.4 million naturalised citizens and permanent residents in South Africa will be able to apply for smart ID cards from Monday, 12 May 2025.

That is according to recent feedback from Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber to Sunday newspaper Rapport.

Schreiber told the publication that the department had fixed an IT system issue that prevented most of these individuals from getting the card since it launched in 2012.

To date, only a handful of naturalised citizens who sought special permission from the Home Affairs director-general have been able to obtain the card.

The vast majority of the country’s 800,000 naturalised citizens and 700,000 permanent residents have not been allowed to apply for the more modern identity document.

Schreiber described the fix as the department’s biggest milestone since it started revamping its IT systems a few months ago.

In addition to no longer treating these individuals as second-class citizens, the minister said the system fix would enhance national security.

The minister also said that the achievement would bring the department closer to scrapping the green ID book, which was initially planned to happen several years ago.

The document has become a major target for modification and forgery due to its outdated security.

The DHA has eagerly encouraged people to get a smart ID card to better protect themselves against fraudsters and has given vague warnings about invalidating the ID book.

All the while, permanent residents and naturalised citizens have had no choice but to stick to their ID books.

In recent years, many have complained to MyBroadband about their inability to obtain a smart ID card despite being permanent residents or naturalised citizens for decades.

These included a high-profile and successful businessman who has been working in the South African music industry for more than 50 years.

If these individuals’ ID books were stolen or lost, they were forced to reapply for a green ID book at a dwindling number of Home Affairs branches that still offered the old document.

Plan to offer smart ID cards via banking apps

From Monday, naturalised citizens and permanent residents will also be able to use the eHomeAffairs facility to get their smart ID cards.

This system allows people to apply and pay for their cards online. Thereafter, they must provide biometric verification and collect their card at special Home Affairs kiosks in one of 30 bank branches.

The department aims to expand this service to 100 new branches by March 2026 and 1,000 by March 2028.

However, it also wants to eliminate the requirement for in-person biometric verification and allow applicants to verify their identities via their banking apps in the future.

According to Schreiber, integrating Home Affairs services into the branches was a “logical precursor” to delivering the same services online and via mobile apps.

This forms part of the department’s broader digitalisation strategy, which seeks to make it possible for people to access more of its services from the comfort of their homes.

To support these improvements, the DHA recently announced the rollout of a comprehensive upgrade of its digital verification system used by public and private entities.

This system, which verifies people’s identities through fingerprints and facial recognition against the National Population Register, has been plagued by inefficiencies.

The department said that before the upgrade, users reported failure rates on the system of up to 50% and that it routinely took up to 24 hours for the system to respond.

“When responses did arrive, they were often so littered with errors that they required a cumbersome process of manual verification,” the department said.

“Thanks to the diligent and focused work on this problem by the Department over the past few months, these errors are now set to become a thing of the past.”

“Testing has confirmed that the upgraded system is not only capable of dramatically faster performance, but that it now delivers an error rate of well below 1%.”

The short answer
You might need legal assistance

The whole question
My partner was born in South Africa but moved to Portugal when he was a year old. He has a South African passport but not the national ID. I, on the other hand, am a foreigner. We currently reside in Cape Town. We are not married, and I am currently pregnant. Once our child is born, we would like to use my partner's surname and he will legally acknowledge the child. Will we be able to register our baby?

The long answer

If your partner has a valid South African passport, he should be able to apply for and get an ID card from the Department of Home Affairs.

But if he acquired the citizenship of another country, he would automatically lose his South African citizenship unless he applied for and got permission to keep his South African citizenship before acquiring the citizenship of the new country. A South African citizen can hold dual citizenship, but again only if he applied and got permission to keep his South African citizenship first.

In terms of registering the baby’s birth:

All children must be registered within 30 days of their birth under the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1992. The parent or parents must complete Form B1-24 in black ink at their nearest Home Affairs office and submit it. The parent/s must bring their ID/s, and if they are married, a marriage certificate. If the parents are married, the child is given the father’s surname. If they are not married they can choose either the mother’s or father’s surname. The parents are then given an unabridged birth certificate which contains the child’s legal name, their date of birth and their place of birth and its parents’ names. This is then included in the National Population Register. You need an unabridged birth certificate to travel out of the country with the child.

As Home Affairs would often refuse to register the births of children when one parent was an immigrant, a case was brought to the Eastern Cape High Court in 2018 (Naki versus Director General Home Affairs). The court had to decide whether the Births and Deaths Registration Act (BDRA) allowed the father to register a child in the case of a mother being absent or not having legal permission to be in the country. It decided that the BDRA did not allow a father to register the birth of a child in those circumstances; it was therefore unconstitutional as all children born in South Africa have a right to have their births registered.

The court also found that Regulation 12 (1) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (BDRA) which provided for an unmarried mother to register a child’s birth prevented an unmarried father from registering the birth of a child, which was also unconstitutional.

So it “read into” the regulations the words “or father” to ensure that either a mother or father could register the birth of their child if they were unmarried.

This court decision means that it’s easier now to register the birth of children where one parent is South African and the other parent is an immigrant, because Home Affairs may not refuse to register a child’s birth on the grounds of the legal status of its parents.

Although the court order was in 2018, Home Affairs often takes a very long time to comply with court orders and you may find some Home Affairs officials still refusing to register births of children in the circumstances described above. If you run into that kind of trouble you may want to consult the following organisations for advice

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Top 5 Things to Know about South African Visa Renewals

When is it a good time to start with the renewal ?
Picture this – it’s Monday and in a quiet moment you decide to go through your foreign employees’ documents.

To your shock you discover that one employee’s visa is due for renewal – at the end of the week.

Suddenly, your Monday is a whole lot bluer! You have no idea how you’re going to do this. You don’t even know if it’s still possible to submit a renewal!

Take a deep breath – this does not have to happen to you.
You can avoid any visa renewal shocks and surprises simply by keeping these 5 facts in mind:

1. Did you know applications must be submitted at least 60 days before the expiry date of the visa

South Africa’ Immigration Act requires visa holders to submit renewals at least 60 days before the expiry date of their visa. Visa holders may also submit renewals earlier but no earlier than 6 months prior to a visa’s expiry date.

Our advice? Don’t wait for the 60 days! Submit as early as possible to allow for unforeseen hiccups.

2. Start the groundwork early
The process of renewing a South African visa is the same as applying for a new visa. For this reason, it is advisable to start preparing for a renewal well in advance.

When it comes to work visas specifically, there are often multiple steps that need to be followed before being able to submit the renewal to the authorities. Given the backlog at Home Affairs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend starting the preparation process 12 months in advance.

3. The visa holder must meet all the requirements again
To apply for a visa extension, the visa holder must be able to meet the requirements of their visa again. This includes any new requirements or changes to requirements that were made by the Department of Home Affairs since the previous application or renewal.

Applicants who can’t meet the requirements of their visa will most likely not get a visa extension.
That does not mean it’s the end of the road! Unsuccessful renewal applicants can get assessed against all of South Africa’s immigration requirements to see if they perhaps qualify for another visa that lets them work in South Africa.

4. Keep critical documentation up to date
Want to save yourself a lot of headaches? Ensure that documentation with expiry dates are always valid. By keeping documents up to date, you’ll see to it that you’re ready to proceed with renewals as soon as it’s necessary.

Police clearances is one example of documentation with an expiry date. These documents are only valid for 6 months from the date of issuance. The passport expiration date is also an important one to keep in mind. It is impossible to apply for a visa with an expired passport.

5. Extensions must be submitted in South Africa
All extensions must be submitted in South Africa, at a VFS application centre. Visa holders can’t submit extensions outside of South Africa.

Need help with South African visa renewals?
Our corporate team can assist you with all types of South African visa renewals. The team will guide you through the requirements and work with you to submit a complete application.

How can we help you , please email us to info@samigration.com whatsapp message me on:
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The Department of Home Affairs has officially declared Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso illegal in the country.
This comes as Omotoso was arrested in East London in the Eastern Cape on Saturday morning.

Omotoso’s arrest comes weeks after he was acquitted on an array of charges including rape, human trafficking and sexual assault.
In a statement released by Home Affairs on behalf of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster confirmed that an operation led to the arrest.
“The arrest follows the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs [Dr. Leon Schreiber] to reject the application submitted by Omotoso in terms of section 8(7) of the Immigration Act that sought to overturn the earlier decision of the Department of Home Affairs to declare Omotoso a prohibited person,” it said.

The Minister’s decision means that Omotoso is now illegal in South Africa and is subject to deportation.
“Omotoso earlier challenged his status as a prohibited person in court, and the court
held that his status should be remitted back to the Department for reconsideration.

After carefully reconsidering the matter, the Minister upheld the decision to declare

Omotoso as a prohibited person,” the statement read.

In order to ensure compliance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa, Omotoso is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, May 12, 2025, on charges of contravening provisions of the Immigration Act.

The South African government has extended the registration deadline for spaza shops and food-handling outlets. This move provides vital relief to small business owners who struggled to meet the original cutoff of December 17, 2024. With this extension, the government reinforces its commitment to formalizing informal businesses while also addressing growing concerns around food safety. The delay in the deadline is not just an administrative grace period it’s a chance for entrepreneurs to legitimize their businesses and access greater opportunities.

Health and Safety at the Heart of the Initiative

A significant driver behind the spaza shop registration initiative is the need to protect public health. In the past year alone, more than 30 lives were tragically lost due to foodborne illnesses, many traced back to unregistered food outlets. These cases highlighted the urgent need for strict hygiene practices and compliance with food safety standards. By making registration mandatory, the government seeks to ensure that all food-handling businesses meet environmental health standards, creating safer communities for all South Africans.

What Business Owners Need to Register Their Spaza Shops

The registration process requires documentation to prove the legitimacy of the business and its compliance with zoning and safety regulations. South African citizens must present a valid ID, proof of residence, and a certificate from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), among other documents. Foreign nationals must also show proof of legal residency and business permits. Environmental health certificates, proof of premises, and municipal consent are essential components of the application. These requirements ensure that both local and foreign-owned businesses meet uniform health and zoning standards.

Step-by-Step Process to Legalize Your Spaza Business

South Africa Extends Spaza Shop Registration Deadline

To get started, business owners must gather all the required documentation, ensuring that everything is current and accurate. Applications can be obtained and submitted at local municipal offices or through the official government website if online services are available. After submitting the necessary forms and documents, an inspection will typically be conducted by municipal health and safety officials. This inspection ensures the premises comply with hygiene and zoning regulations. Once approved, the business is granted a trading license, which must be displayed visibly in the shop to demonstrate legal operation.

The Real Value of Registering Your Spaza Shop

Legal registration does far more than keep businesses on the right side of the law. It legitimizes the operation, building trust with customers and opening doors to partnerships with larger suppliers. Registered businesses also become eligible for government support, such as small business grants, training opportunities, and access to municipal development programs. Additionally, compliance with health standards helps improve customer safety and satisfaction, which can lead to increased sales and long-term business growth.

Overcoming Common Obstacles in the Registration Process

While the benefits of registering are clear, some entrepreneurs may still face challenges. Common issues include lack of awareness about requirements, language barriers, and limited access to digital platforms. Fortunately, municipal offices often provide assistance in multiple languages and may offer workshops or support programs for small business owners. Financial constraints for document fees can be addressed by applying for subsidies or payment plans, while internet access issues can be resolved by using public libraries or municipal facilities. The government’s intent is not just to enforce regulation but also to support small businesses in becoming sustainable contributors to the economy.

A Final Call to Act Before the 2025 Deadline

Deadline fast approaching, now is the time for spaza shop owners to act. Registering your business not only ensures compliance with the law but also positions your shop for long-term success in a more formalized and supportive economic environment. Whether you’re just starting out or have been operating for years, don’t miss this chance to become a legally recognized and empowered business owner in South Africa’s evolving retail landscape