South Africa selects Gemalto for its national electronic identity card programme

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, will supply the Government Printing Works (GPW) of South Africa with Sealys eID cards for its national identity programme. GPW will harness Gemalto's secure embedded software to protect the holder's image and biometric data within the secure identity e-document, delivering outstanding levels of integrity and privacy. Moreover, GPW selected the high-end Sealys document fitted with the contactless feature, ensuring added levels of convenience with unrivalled security for citizens.

Designed to modernise and replace South Africa's traditional, paper-based 'green book' identity documentation, the new Sealys eID card will be offered by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to citizens aged 16 and over. The South African government embarked on this service programme to improve confidence in official identity credentials and to prepare for the deployment of a comprehensive suite of efficient and convenient e-government services.

Leveraging experience that already includes participation in over 80 national programmes worldwide, Gemalto is providing GPW with an advanced and highly durable polycarbonate eID card specifically designed to counter forgery. Furthermore, the Sealy eID supports public key infrastructure (PKI) and match-on-card authentication techniques to enable easy verification of authenticity and a future-proof platform capable of providing a broad range of secure online services, such as online and in-person authentication as well as legally binding digital signatures.

"Gemalto demonstrated their proven ability to deliver high-end eID secure documents within an ambitious schedule," said Professor Anthony Mbewu, CEO of GPW. "Plans are already in place for the next phases of the modernisation programme, and we are very confident in Gemalto's deep expertise and state-of-the-art technology in supporting our future aspirations."

"Our local presence in Johannesburg provides a key benefit in ensuring a strategic partnership with the GPW," said Ari Bouzbib, Senior Vice-President of Government Programs at Gemalto. "This new project marks another significant acceleration in the momentum behind e-government initiatives on the continent, where Gemalto has already deployed a number of major programmes."