A new biometric payroll platform comes after state salary fraud reportedly drained about $215 million in 2025

South Africa is launching a biometric employee verification system to eliminate "ghost workers" from the public payroll after fraudulent salary payments reportedly cost taxpayers R3.9 billion ($215 million) in 2025. 

The online system, set to go live on 15 June 2026, will be rolled out across national and provincial departments for an initial two-month verification period. It forms part of government's broader digital transformation drive to strengthen accountability, improve data integrity, and safeguard public funds.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the platform is built on its advanced trusted digital identity verification systems and is directly linked to the national population register. It will use biometric authentication and liveness detection technology to confirm that public servants on the payroll are real, active individuals.

The initiative is expected to provide National Treasury with a more accurate and secure mechanism to verify employee records across the public service, reducing the risk of fraudulent or duplicated payments.

Home Affairs says the system represents a significant milestone in modernising the state through digital innovation, with the department positioning itself as a key driver of secure e-governance solutions.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said the platform could deliver substantial savings and improve oversight across government payroll systems.

"If used consistently, this platform has the power to save South African taxpayers billions of Rands by leveraging the power of enhanced biometric systems to identify ghost employees and others involved in defrauding government payrolls," Schreiber said.

He added that the project demonstrates how the department's broader reform agenda is reshaping the state's capabilities through technology.

"The application of the digital capabilities our reform work is now consistently delivering to this new use case, demonstrates that the digital transformation of Home Affairs is laying the foundation for an entirely rebuilt state, with the benefits being felt widely across government and society," he said.

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The rollout will be closely monitored as government seeks to tighten controls on public sector expenditure and improve confidence in state payroll systems.

First published by IOL