South Africa digital identity; Mauritius social-media checks

South Africa is moving toward a digital identity system to curb illegal immigration and reduce fraud. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a phased shutdown of the green-barcoded identity book used since 1980, which has been linked to a 400% rise in impersonation fraud. The plan is to replace it with an Intelligent Population Register containing biometric data, aiming to complete the phase-out by 2029. The rollout is already underway. The Department of Home Affairs is expanding digital ID services through smart ID replacements at 167 bank branches nationwide, with over 127,000 people reportedly switched to the service since May. South Africa also plans tighter rules for the Traffic Registration Number (TRN), often used by foreign nationals as vehicle identification, with new regulations expected within three months. Meanwhile, Mauritius is tightening oversight in response to digital fraud and harmful online content. After a June 5 Cabinet meeting, the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation said it will launch an identity verification mechanism for social media users to combat cyber fraud, identity theft, and harmful content. The ministry is still working on details and expects to publish guidelines after stakeholder consultations, with debates already emerging around freedom of expression and privacy. As of June, Mauritius recorded more than 2,300 cases of online harm and 6,073 cyber incidents in 2025. For traders, this is primarily a governance and compliance story: “digital identity” upgrades may improve fraud detection and reduce risk over time, but it is not directly tied to crypto market structure or major token flows in the near term.