The Home Affairs Department says they intend to do away with the green ID books and has urged those who haven?t converted to get a smart ID card to work on getting one urgently.

Home Affairs Deputy Director General for Operations Thulani Mavuso explained that the start IDs were introduced over a decade ago. He added that although they intend to do away with the green ID books, no date has been set as to when they?ll be declared invalid. "Our expectation is that in the next two or so years we should have actually just done away with it, but we have not set the timelines." Mavuso said that about 17 million people are still in possession and using the green ID books. "The green ID book is very vulnerable to theft and fraud. The smart ID card carries your biometrics, "said Mavuso.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says ?although it's not essential to have a smart ID, grant recipients with the old green ID book have a higher chance of unsuccessful verification when doing the facial biometrics?. They say it?s because the quality of the photos in the green ID books is terrible.  SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi, says If the facial biometric test fails, they will need to get a new ID which includes advanced biometric features. ?Until the applicant confirms their identity through facial recognition. This is to limit the possibility of identity theft?.