By Mapaballo Borotho
- Home Affairs will now officially recognise Khoi-San traditional names on identity documents.
- The change follows a case where a young man struggled to have his name correctly reflected due to IT limitations.
- Government says the move restores dignity and inclusion for Khoi-San communities.
For the first time in South Africa’s history, the Department of Home Affairs will officially recognise Khoi-San traditional names on birth certificates, smart ID cards and passports.
The breakthrough follows a case involving !Khūboab Oedasoua Lawrence, who was previously unable to obtain a smart ID card reflecting his Khoi-San first name.
According to Carli van Wyk, spokesperson to Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, his family faced a similar issue 18 years ago when they could not secure a birth certificate with the correct spelling of his name.
Van Wyk said the department identified the root cause as a technical IT limitation linked to the use of “special characters” in traditional names.
The technical team has since resolved the issue and remains on standby to implement further upgrades if needed.
!Khūboab Oedasoua Lawrence has now become the first recipient of an official document recognising a Khoi-San traditional name.
Minister Schreiber described the development as a historic step toward restoring dignity and inclusion for Khoi-San communities.
“A name is more than a practicality it is central to every person’s identity,” he said.
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