South Africa Opens Public Comment on Draft Regulations for Smartphone-Based Digital Identity System

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs published draft amended regulations under the Identification Act of 1997 last week, opening a public comment period that runs until June 6, 2026. Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber gazetted the regulations, which establish the legal framework for a new smartphone-based Digital Identity system intended to coexist alongside physical Smart ID cards and other existing identity documents.

Under the proposed framework, citizens would be able to store and access secure digital versions of their identity documents, including identity documents, birth certificates, and marriage certificates, directly on their smartphones. The regulations prescribe standards for biometric capture and identity assurance, enabling remote confirmation of identity through biometric verification methods. Participation in the Digital Identity system would be optional; physical Smart ID cards will remain available in parallel. The draft regulations also propose a five-year validity period for digital ID documents, a departure from current practice for physical credentials.

Stakeholders including members of the public, civil society organizations, and industry participants are invited to submit written comments by June 6, 2026. Submissions may be sent by email to Moses.Malakate@dha.gov.za or delivered to the Chief Director: Legal Services at 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Pretoria. The department says technical work on the underlying system is already underway with partners in government.

The draft regulations follow South Africa’s establishment of a multi-agency digital identity platform linking the Department of Home Affairs with SARS, the Border Management Authority, and Government Printing Works. A parallel citizen super-app pilot using facial recognition for government service access has been testing the biometric remote verification model the draft regulations now propose to formalize.

Minister Schreiber has been pursuing digital access expansion on multiple fronts. His department previously extended Smart ID eligibility to permanent residents and rolled out bank-branch Smart ID distribution through Absa and Discovery as components of the same digital-service program underpinning the current regulations. South Africa is one of the continent’s largest identity document issuers, and the draft regulations would give the digital ID system a statutory framework.

Sources: South African Government, BusinessTech

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team