South Africa Delays Launch of New Driving Licence Cards

South Africa’s eagerly anticipated new driving licence cards have yet to make their debut by the end of April 2024, contrary to assurances made by Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga.

Speaking during a press briefing on the shutdown of e-tolls in Gauteng on April 10, 2024, Minister Chikunga revealed that her department was in the final stages of procuring the machine required to print the new cards. She mentioned that the team responsible for the procurement had travelled to France to inspect the machine first-hand.

Chikunga expressed optimism by saying: “Before the end of this month [April], we will be printing new driving licence [cards] and will launch at least the first 100 per province, as we have said. We are moving in that regard.”

However, despite these assurances, the department has remained silent on any updates regarding the arrival, installation, or commencement of production with the new printer.

The timeline for the end-of-April launch was already delayed compared to promises made by Chikunga’s predecessor, Fikile Mbalula. Mbalula had initially announced that the new cards would undergo a pilot phase from November 2023 to March 2024. According to this plan, the old printer and licence cards would have been phased out by March 31, 2024, with the final expiry date for the old cards set for March 31, 2029.

It wasn’t until January 2024 that Minister Chikunga confirmed the delay in procuring the printer and announced that the new cards would only be launched by the end of April.

The current driving licence cards have been in use for 26 years, and the aging printer has experienced increased breakdowns in recent times, prompting the need for a long-overdue upgrade.

While the government works to address these delays, motorists continue to rely on the existing cards, highlighting the importance of expediting the transition to the new system for enhanced efficiency and reliability on the roads.