SA aiming for digital ID by 2029 elections

"This is a sequential process. First will come access to smart IDs for all and then will come parallel, and over time, digital IDs," said Schreiber.

"The advantage of ending up in this space of digital identity and verifiable credentials is that it will enable us to remotely certify the identity of every person in the country based on their unique facial or fingerprint biometrics.

"I think it goes without saying that there are opportunities and implications for the IEC in the work that we are doing in this space."

The minister delivered the keynote address at the e-voting conference hosted by the IEC in Cape Town.

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It discussed a document based on a study by the Human Sciences Research Council that examined the implications of electronic voting for South Africa.

Schreiber said it is also important for the conference to devise ways for the IEC to deliver an efficient and more secure voting experience.

"Our goal cannot simply be to move inefficient processes from paper to digital. There is no point in digitalising a process if it's going to be just as slow, just as inefficient, and just as insecure as the manual paper-based process that preceded it.

"That is why digital transformation requires more than just technology. There's a difference between digitalising and digital transformation. It requires us to change. We need to improve the process, ultimately."

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