Home Affairs wants to stop fraud with new system

Dr. Leon Schreiber, Minister of the Interior. (Photo: GCIS)

The Department of Home Affairs has launched a new online booking system on its MyHomeAffairsOnline platform in a bid to prevent fraud and improve users’ access to services.

Home Affairs has rolled out an upgraded online booking system with significant security and efficiency enhancements. For years, syndicates made block bookings to extort clients for this free service. We’ve clamped down and delivered an improved UX! ???????? https://t.co/PyEC1lJzNs pic.twitter.com/pXxs91bFDE

— Leon Schreiber (@Leon_Schreib) June 18, 2026

The system requires users to first create a MyHomeAffairsOnline profile linked to their ID number and email address before they can make an appointment. According to the department, this step will help to “ensure that appointment slots remain available for legitimate customers”.

The adjustment follows years of syndicates abusing the previous booking platform and exploiting vulnerable people. These groups reportedly blocked out large numbers of appointment slots and sold them for a fee to people who desperately needed access to Home Affairs services.

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(Archive photo: Maroela Media)

The department says the abuse has led to many people struggling to get appointments for essential services.

The new system is available on the MyHomeAffairsOnline platform and forms part of the department’s wider digital transformation program which aims to improve service delivery, combat fraud and facilitate access to services.

Dr. Interior Minister Leon Schreiber says people have been harmed for too long by criminals who exploited weak points in the previous system to hoard appointment slots and sell them at a profit.

“The migration of our booking system to MyHomeAffairsOnline directly tackles this abuse by linking bookings to verified user profiles. This strengthens the integrity of the system and protects citizens’ access to services,” said Schreiber.