South African identity card

In 2025, the Department of Home Affairs issued 4 million Smart IDs - a 17% increase from the 3.42 million issued in 2024. In March 2026, it was reported that SA Smart IDs (along with birth certificates and passports) could, for the first time, recognize and record Khoisan traditional names. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber handed over the first Smart ID produced by the department and the Government Printing Works that reflected a Khoisan traditional name, following recent upgrades to the department’s IT systems which allowed for new characters to be printed. == Physical appearance ==

There are two types of Smart ID Card; card Type A for regular length names and card Type B for longer length names. Both contain the following information: Barcode Data The back of the card contains two barcodes: Code 39 The one-dimensional Code 39 barcode contains: • Identity number PDF417 The two-dimensional PDF417 barcode contains: • Surname • Names • Sex • Nationality • Identity Number • Day of Birth • Country of Birth • Status • Date of Issue • A 5-digit security number, appearing with the text 'RSA' in the multiple-layer image on the back of the card • A 9-digit card number appearing on the back of the card • The sequence 1234567890 repeated to fill up the available space in the PDF417 barcode. ==See also==