In a historic first for South Africa, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has officially recognised Khoi-San traditional names on Smart IDs and other civic documents.
On Wednesday, 26 February, Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, personally handed over the first Smart ID reflecting a Khoi-San traditional name to Stellenbosch student !Khūboab Oedasoua Lawrence.
The breakthrough comes after the young man was previously unable to obtain a Smart ID bearing his full traditional first name. According to DHA, his family faced a similar challenge more than 18 years ago when they were unable to secure a birth certificate that accurately reflected the spelling of his name.
After being alerted to the issue last month, Schreiber intervened and instructed the department to prioritise the matter. Officials identified a long-standing technical limitation within the system that prevented the capturing of certain special characters. Within four weeks, the necessary upgrades were completed, removing the barrier.
As a result, birth certificates, Smart IDs and passports can now recognise and record Khoi-San traditional names for the first time in the country’s history. The department’s Director-General is expected to issue a circular to all offices nationwide informing them of the system enhancement, while the technical team remains on standby to implement further updates if additional characters need to be accommodated.
Schreiber said: “A name is more than a practicality – it is central to every person’s identity.”
Schreiber also referenced South Africa’s national motto, “!ke e: /xarra //ke” – meaning “diverse people unite” – highlighting that it contains the same unique characters now formally recognised by Home Affairs systems.
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