The short answer
There are some workarounds that could help you get a clear fingerprint scan, but you may need to find an office with alternative biometric options.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
I have been told by Home Affairs that my fingerprints are not readable, which limits my ability to access some services that need biometric verification. They have been processing my ID for five months, and I think this is why it is taking so long. What can I do?
The long answer
Having fingerprints that don’t work is a common problem with older people, but if the person taking your fingerprints is prepared to be extremely patient, clean off the scanner, switch the computer off and start from scratch quite a few times, this can sometimes be overcome.
If it doesn’t work, they can also try the old method of pressing your fingertips in black ink and then pressing them on paper and scanning the paper. If that also doesn’t work, iris scanning and facial recognition can be used.
Incode, an identity verification technology company, points out, “However, iris recognition still has some limitations, such as requiring special cameras and taking a long time to scan, so fingerprint recognition remains the most accurate biometric authentication method.”
In a virtual meeting in September 2023, Home Affairs said it aimed to complete phase two of its Automated Biometric Information System (ABIS) project, which includes implementing iris and palm print biometrics, by April 2024. It is not clear how many Home Affairs offices have been equipped with this technology.
But it should not take five months to process your ID, especially since the new Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, said on 4 February 2025, that 895,125 smart IDs had been issued between 1 July and 30 September 2024. That was a record for Home Affairs and he said that it inspired the department “to work even harder to ensure that all qualifying persons are able to obtain Smart IDs before the end of calendar year 2025”.
So, I think the problem is likely to be your fingerprints. The fact is, though, that losing your fingerprints should not mean that you lose your basic rights as a citizen, one of which is to have a working ID.
Then what do you do?
Perhaps you can phone the Home Office call centre at 0800 60 11 90 first, and hopefully they will be helpful.
If they aren’t helpful, I think you should phone your local Home Affairs office, and ask to make an appointment with the manager to discuss what you can do about getting your ID after a five-month delay, which you think is due to your fingerprints not working. You should be polite but insistent that you need this appointment as soon as possible, because you cannot get any help without an ID.
If the person you speak to does not book you an appointment and is unhelpful, be sure to take their name down and their position. Follow up the call with an email to the office manager, stating what has happened and naming the person you spoke to and the date. You could quote Minister Schreiber as saying that he was proud that Home Affairs had managed to issue so many smart IDs after the long months of backlogs, and that you are one of the people urgently asking for help in this regard.
If there is no reply, you could take your situation to the Black Sash, which is an organisation that gives free paralegal advice and has a long history of dealing with Home Affairs.
These are their contact details:
Email: help@blacksash.org.za
Helpline: 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865.
Wishing you the best,
Athalie
Answered on March 7, 2025, 4:06 p.m.
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