Game changer for SA: Instant visas and new digital IDs

South Africa is embarking on an ambitious digital transformation journey, aiming to establish unique digital identities for its citizens and offer instant visa services.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the Department of Home Affairs, and the Reserve Bank.

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter recently highlighted the importance of this initiative, explaining that the current system’s reliance on multiple identifiers for each person increases the risk of fraud and inefficiency (BusinessTech).

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With the new digital ID system, each citizen would have a unified identity for interactions across government agencies. Kieswetter explained that this approach could minimise identity-based loopholes that allow abuses, such as claiming social benefits while employed.

By centralising identifiers, the government can more effectively track individual records across various departments, reducing opportunities for corruption.

A unique digital identity system is expected to streamline services like visa processing. Working with SARS, the Department of Home Affairs plans to leverage existing technology to issue visas instantly.

According to Kieswetter, the system already enables near-instant tax assessments, and this same technology could soon be applied to visa issuance as part of a pilot project.

In line with this, Home Affairs has revised its five-year plan to prioritise digital transformation and strengthen collaboration with other government agencies.

Though still in the early stages, this initiative promises to simplify processes for South Africans, integrating services like tax compliance, certifications, and business registrations under one unique identifier.

Speaking at a recent tax event, former finance minister Trevor Manuel drew comparisons to India’s Aadhaar program, a similar system that has improved service delivery for 1.4-billion citizens.

Manuel noted that such a system could be scaled quickly for South Africa’s 60-million residents, potentially making government transactions faster and more secure.

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