Pensioners will be able to apply for smart identity document cards from February, home affairs minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday.

People would be invited to apply according to their month of birth, she said at a breakfast briefing hosted by The New Age in Johannesburg.

Pensioners born in January would be the first to be able to apply for the new cards from next month, Pandor explained. “So don’t just come, we will invite you to come on your month of birth,” she said. “Our intention is to issue at least 100 000 smart cards by 31 March.”

She said the issuing of it would be a paperless process, and the card would be top of the range. “The smart ID card uses modern biometric technology to record details on a chip on the card. The memory is sufficient to store a wide range of public sector details, like your marriage licence details, driver’s licence details…”

On tourism, Pandor said her department processed more than 2m visitors to South Africa over the festive season. “We are fortunate to have a popular tourist destination.”

She said a number of bilateral agreements that benefit travellers had been developed. — Sapa