Home Affairs @Home initiative aims to eliminate in-person visits for routine services, enabling online access by 2029. Picture Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
In a landmark announcement marking the Government of National Unity’s 100 days in office, Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy to digitise the Department of Home Affairs.
The new initiative, titled Home Affairs @Home, aims to eliminate in-person visits for routine services, allowing South Africans and foreign nationals to access services online by 2029.
“Our vision is to bring Home Affairs to you,” Schreiber declared. “Over the next five years, all of the department’s services must become fully automated, digitised, and offered online at the fingertips of our clients, from the comfort of their own homes.”
Key components of the plan include the ability to apply for IDs, passports, and certificates through a secure online platform linked to clients’ biometrics, similar to systems used by banks and the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
Documents will be delivered directly to clients’ doorsteps or made available digitally. “Routine transactions will be processed automatically, only requiring human intervention in cases of anomalies,” Schreiber explained.
The immigration process is also set to undergo a dramatic shift, with the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for foreign visitors. “Paper-based visas will be replaced by unique digital codes linked to biometric data,” Schreiber said, noting that real-time biometric verification would occur at all ports of entry.
In addition to convenience, the plan aims to bolster national security. Schreiber highlighted that “the risk engine will instantly detect fraudulent documents and notify officials if a traveller overstays their visa”.
Schreiber also emphasised the strategic importance of this shift: “Digital transformation is essential to attract investment and tourists. Antiquated, paper-based red tape must go for our economy to thrive.” This vision, he said, would transform every library or community centre with internet access into a virtual Home Affairs office.
The Mercury