South Africa to Launch Digital ID Linking Citizens to Government Services

South Africa to Launch Digital ID Linking Citizens to Government Services

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has officially announced that a national Digital ID system will begin rolling out before the end of 2026. This announcement was made by Maropene Ramokgopa, the Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, during a media briefing on the progress of the government’s Medium‑Term Development Plan (MTDP) in Pretoria on Friday. Government documents indicate that the Digital ID policy is being finalised and is expected to be submitted to Cabinet for approval. The Digital ID rollout is anchored to MyMzansi, a government digital services portal prototype launched in 2025. According to the minister, the roll-out of digital IDs will begin before the end of the year, and the digital ID is intended to become the foundation for linking and digitising government services across departments, making interactions with government faster, more seamless, and more secure for citizens. South Africa’s identity system remains weak, with many gover…