No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
Summary
The reform includes a national smart ID rollout, biometric verification, digital onboarding and integration with banks and government services. Regulatory programmes are upgrading digital ID verification, e-systems for know-your-customer (KYC), and sector interoperability. Private/public rollout is expanding fast with sectoral regulatory monitoring. National system upgrade completed for banks, insurers and telcos.
Is it working?
The reform is highly effective, with strong uptake and positive impact on "know your customer" processes and fraud prevention. About 3.6 million smart IDs were targeted for 2025 with banks playing a key role in rollout. The E-KYC/digital ID system covers most financial institutions, however, there are small legacy gaps.
Actions
The upgraded system is now live, enabling instant, reliable verification and reducing fraud risk. Banks and insurers are integrating the system for onboarding and compliance. The upgraded system is now live, enabling instant, reliable verification and reducing fraud risk. Banks and insurers are integrating the system for onboarding and compliance. Hence, industry rollout is robust, interoperability is sector-standard and incidents are being addressed efficiently.
Are there plans?
Yearly compliance updates, interagency data review, periodic sector stress testing.
Is it on the agenda?
The digital verification system was upgraded in March 2025, with smart ID rollout targets and a new fee structure for private sector use. this is a Cabinet and FSCA modernisation focus.
Goals
To modernise digital identity verification, payments and infrastructure, supporting secure, efficient financial services and financial inclusion. It integrates biometric (fingerprint, facial recognition) checks against the national population register. The objective is to upgrade digital identity, resilience and interoperability for financial institutions.
Departments / Govt Institutions
Department of Home Affairs National Treasury South African Reserve Bank (SARB)
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.
No data available for the deliverable: Comprehensive upgrade and rollout of South Africa’s digital identity verification system. Verification for both public and private sector services, including banks, insurers and telcos.