New license cards on the horizon sooner than later
The drama surrounding South African drivers licenses took a new turn this week, as it was announced that the single card license printing machine, which had broken down during COVID and recently again and caused a current backlog of 350 000 licenses, had been put back into service and is being ramped up to reel in the backlog of licenses being issued.
Related: How to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged driver's license
Hot on the heels of this news it was also reported that the new license card system will also go into a 4-month testing phase with a new card that has been in the works for some time being issued along with the introduction of a new digital driver's license.
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New tech
Digital driving licenses were first raised by former transport minister Fikile Mbalula in 2022 when he announced that the department would officially launch the system in the 2024/25 financial year, this has now been brought forward to the third quarter of this financial year as the technical issues surrounding the aforementioned machine have compounded the existing backlog. Along with the card, a new mobile or electronic driver’s license (eDL) is also in the works.
With the introduction of the eDL, motorists will have the option to apply for a physical card and electronic driver’s license that will be accessible through a motorist’s mobile phone. The DLCA has previously indicated that the introduction of an electronic license is now possible due to increased mobile broadband penetration across the country. The digital license is expected to be preceded by the introduction of the new driving license card, which is anticipated to be launched in 2023, including a new license design.
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New look
A new driving license card in South Africa will have improved security features, including biometric data, holograms, and watermarks, to reduce fraudulent licenses and improve road safety. The current driving license cards will be phased out, with the printing machine that produces them being decommissioned late in 2024. A new system will be introduced with driving license cards linked to smart-card technology. Mbalula confirmed at the end of 2022 that the department was working towards a pilot of the new licenses between 1 November 2023 and 31 March 2024, while the extension of the validity of the cards was also coming. This has now all been accelerated and moved forward with the new system to be engaged by late 2023.
Drivers with existing licenses need not worry though as current cards continue to be recognised as valid until 31 March 2029.
