The government of South Africa is getting ready to start issuing new driver’s licenses. This critical stage is expected to begin by the end of April 2024. This important news was confirmed by Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister of Transport. She made it clear that the Department of Transport (DoT) was close to completing the purchase of a brand-new printer to produce these licenses.
A department delegation visited France to examine the new printer being evaluated for acquisition to guarantee its effectiveness and quality. This significant public news was public at a meeting to address the end of Gauteng’s e-tolling program.
New Driver’s Licences Printing Timeline:
Minister Chikunga gave a few details on the new licenses’ timetable. She stated that the DoT had not chosen a supplier for the latest printer in January. They do, however, want to complete this procedure by April. The latest driver’s license is also expected to be available for distribution by the end of March 2024. “By the end of this month, the new driver’s licenses will be printed,” she stated. We want to introduce at least the first 100 units in every province. We are working to make this happen right now.
| The Old Printer | The New Printer |
| A single card can be produced in as much as nine days. | The card will be produced in a maximum of five working days. |
The New South African Driver’s License Cards’ Qualities:
Presenting the new driver’s license cards involves more than a straightforward upgrade. It includes a slew of adjustments and enhancements intended to improve drivers’ overall experience:
- The initial plan was to remove the antiquated equipment that printed driver’s license cards in 2023.
- Today’s validity of all driver’s licenses will last until March 31, 2029.
- Advanced security protections will be included with the new cards. These consist of watermarks, holograms, and the incorporation of biometric data (such as fingerprints). These characteristics are intended to increase road safety by making it far more difficult for license fraudsters to fabricate fakes.
- The validity length of the new driver’s license cards will be increased to eight years. Compared to the preceding five years, this is a considerable growth.
- To ensure the system worked well and the security measures met the necessary standards, a trial run of the new cards was conducted in March 2024.
- The International Information Technology Personal Identification requirements are met by the recently implemented driving license system in South Africa. This indicates that the new driver’s license will be accepted globally and that using it abroad won’t present any problems.
Introducing these new driver’s license cards will considerably streamline the licensing procedure. The revised cards emphasized enhancing security and conforming to global norms. Drivers in South Africa will find the licensing process substantially more convenient because of the longer validity term of these cards. This will improve drivers’ overall license experience by lowering the frequency of renewals.