The Department of Home Affairs issued its 10 millionth smart ID card
on Wednesday, but an increase in foot traffic of up to 150% may hinder
government`s ability to reach the full 2023 migration target.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba presented his budget speech in
Parliament ahead of his department`s budget vote in the Old Assembly
chamber on Wednesday.
During his pre-budget press briefing, Gigaba said the department had
just issued its 10 millionth smart ID since launching the initiative
in 2013. The recipient`s name was Nomthandazo Maweni, who will be a
guest in the public gallery when the budget is presented.
The programme is gaining momentum, but they may need to revise their
2023 target dates as queues start `stretching [into] streets`, Gigaba
said.
`We said by 2023 we want to have converted all green barcoded ID
documents into smart ID cards,` Gigaba told journalists in Parliament
on Wednesday.
`We`ve reached 10 million conversions now, and it`s 2019.
`From where we started since 2013, we have been picking up momentum,
but it is likely we will not have reached 38 million conversions by 2023.`
Queues have increased `100 to 150%`
Gigaba said home affairs offices had experienced a drastic spike in
demand, particularly for the smart ID card, since the beginning of 2018.
`So we`ve had increases of 100% to 150% at all our offices around the
country, [but] a 0% increase in office footprint, a 0% increase in the
size of the office, and a 0% increase in the number of staff.`
His officials therefore have gone from servicing 85 people on average,
to between 170 and 200 people a day.
`And we have not increased the physical infrastructure and we have not
increased the staff. We also have an unreliable network.`
Citizens should therefore not expect `miracles` from `under-resourced`
officials.
His fears were for long queues that `stretch along the streets` during
winter, while elderly and young citizens stand in

the cold.
`We may have fatalities, I wish we do not. We are working around the
clock to introduce solutions to ensure we do not suffer any fatality
of a minor person or elderly person because of the cold weather.
`We do not have resources to do deal with this.`
Plans in place
Gigaba said the current budget was set in stone following the national
budget speech �` delivered when he was still finance minister �` in
February this year.
The department has launched strategies to combat the long queues,
including the new digitisation project for citizen data �` which
includes fingerprint databases �` announced on Wednesday.
Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan said it was a given that the department
was not entirely happy with its allocation, but added, however, that
it would be using its resources to continue its `war on queues`.
The bulk of urban offices have the largest foot traffic problem.
The department would communicate through radio stations to direct
Western Cape citizens to branches that have less traffic around the
country, thanks to a new tool developed to analyse trends, she said.
One hundred and eighty-four digitised home affairs offices around the
country now take card payments. Smart ID cards and passports can be
applied for at 14 participating bank branches as well.
Approximately 212 101 smart ID cards and more than 222 406 passports
have been obtained through the existing 14 pilot branches.
Standard Bank, First National Bank, Nedbank and ABSA have also agreed
to extend `eHomeAffairs` to 20 additional branches immediately.
`So we are attending to this to the best of our ability and hope our
partners can respond to our pleas and provide us with the support we
need,` said Gigaba.
The department`s budget for the current financial year is R7.9bn. V.2297

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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