South Africa builds mDL as part of MyMzansi’ functional ID component

South Africa’s Communication Minister Solly Malatsi recently made a demo of a mobile driver’s license (mDL) prototype recently built within the framework of the MyMzansi DPI initiative which the government is implementing.

A domestic team overseen by the Digital Service Unity (DSU) at the presidency built the trial version of the mDL which the minister talked about during the Global DPI Summit, The South African reports.

According to the Department of Transport, the launch of the mDL is set to take place in 2027, with nationwide rollout expected the year later.

At the DPI summit, Malatsi said the credential, which comes to replace the physical driver’s license, will be stored on the MyMzansi application once it is available for use.

mDL’s functions, use cases

The innovation means that obtaining a driver’s license or renewing one will be done easily using the MyMzansi app, from the comfort of one’s smartphone within a matter of minutes. This can be done by selecting the relevant option on the app, filling out a form with some personal details, and confirming one’s identity by submitting a photo of their face for biometric authentication.

As the minister explained, the mDL will have a QR code which can be scanned by officers to verify if the document is actually government-issued, if a user complies with traffic rules, or if they are involved in infringements that require penalties.

He emphasized that the mDL project aligns with the overall vision of the MyMzansi roadmap which is aimed at facilitating access to public services in all domains. It is part of a verified document sharing and digital wallet system that will be rolled out within the framework of MyMzansi.

The mDL is part of the functional digital ID component of the plan. It will serve as one of the many verifiable credentials that citizens will be able to share remotely with banks, mobile operators, employers, health providers and other service providers that integrate with the government‑verified credential wallet and DPI data exchange. It is also previewed to be useful in the future for cross-sector use cases in the area of eKYC and eligibility verification for job applications.

The MyMzansi DPI roadmap, recall, was launched in May, and some components of the DPI plan are already being implemented as the South African government believes the initiative will dramatically revolutionize the public service culture in the country.

Recently, Malatsi announced that as part of the MyMzansi framework, an interoperable data exchange platform is being trialled. Dubbed MzansiXchange, the system which is modelled after Estonia’s X Road will be trialled for a year. The purpose is to facilitate real-time data exchange and verification among government institutions.

Home Affairs wages war against duplicate IDs problem

Information about the design of the mDL comes as Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that a new face biometric verification system is being introduced as part of measures to combat the phenomenon of duplicate IDs.

Schreiber announced the novelty in response to a question by a lawmaker on the issue of duplicate and missing ID cards in the country, according to DFA.

He said they don’t have exact figures on the number of duplicate IDs in the national population register, but the new verification system will help streamline ID verification.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  MyMzansi  |  South Africa  |  verifiable credentials