Despite the Department of Home Affairs’ record-breaking achievements in visa turnaround times and smart ID production, many South Africans say their day-to-day experience at local branches tells a different story.

The Department of Home Affairs has reported a major turnaround in its national performance, producing 3.6 million identity documents in the 2024/25 financial year, nearly 1 million more than the previous year.

According to the report, critical skills visas processed on time jumped from 52% to 89%, business visas from 61% to 97%, and general work visas from 10% to 98%.

On Tuesday morning, IOL visited the Home Affairs Cape Town branch, where the reality on the ground painted a different picture, frustration remains high.

Long queues, malfunctioning booking systems, and uncomfortable waiting conditions continue to define the experience for ordinary citizens.

One woman, Xolelwa Dlamini, who was with her daughter wearing a school unifor,m said she arrived early in the morning to apply for her daughter’s ID, but the line “moved very slow.”

She said that she has been trying to make an online booking, but “the system kept saying there are no slots available.”

Out of desperation, she arrived early without a booking but found herself standing in a slow-moving queue for hours.

“There are no chairs. We just stand,” she said.

A man who spends most days outside Home Affairs selling plastic chairs for R10 each said he saw a business opportunity in people’s long waits.

“The service here is very bad,” he said.

“People stand for hours, sometimes from 1am. Some even pay me to queue for them.”

He also added that many don’t get inside before closing time.

Another woman said she once came to apply for an ID and stood in line for hours before officials told everyone to go home.

“They said there’s a sewer leak inside, and they can’t continue helping. We were told to come back tomorrow,” she said.

When asked about the contrast between the national improvements and continued frustrations at local branches, Home Affairs spokesperson Adrian Roos said:

“The national statistics are an aggregate of the totals of the offices, so things are dramatically improving. The 28.5% improvement in the output of front-line Home Affairs offices ((3.6m-2.8m)/2.8m), is a strong indicator of improved system uptime and the number of South Africans successfully served per day.”

Roos added that the department’s expansion plans aim to make access to services easier.

“With the bank branches rolling out next year, the service network will increase to four times the current footprint and take Home Affairs services closer to South Africans in township and rural areas.”

When asked if the improvements are being felt by ordinary citizens or if they remain administrative, Roos responded:

“800,000 extra ordinary South Africans received a smart ID this year = 3000+ per day extra successful applications. These are thousands more South Africans that can now apply for a job, license, grant, write matric and participate in the economy.”

He also outlined the DA’s vision for accountability and consistency.

“Ultimately the vision is Home Affairs @ Home where you can apply at a bank branch or on your phone and your ID/Passport is delivered to your door.”

While acknowledging that some challenges remain, particularly with permanent residence applications, Roos said these take longer because of the extensive investigations involved.

Looking ahead, he said further reforms will focus on freeing up staff to address critical issues such as undocumented South African children.

“Home Affairs staff can be freed to work on deeper issues such as the documentation of undocumented South African children. South African children should not be punished because the circumstances of their birth left them without a birth certificate. It is a top priority to get a Smart ID into the hands of every South African citizen to help grow the economy and create jobs.”

For now, though, the question remains whether the “staggering improvement” seen on paper will soon be felt in the queues still snaking outside Home Affairs offices across Cape Town.

IOL News

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