Emerging News for the New South Africa Driving Licence

Toward the end of 2022, South Africa’s Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced that the current driving licence card would be phased out and replaced with a card compatible with international standards – (see IDN September 2022). Now, more details about the new card are emerging.

A new system of driving licence will be introduced, with the card linked to smart-card technology. The Transport Department previously noted that a trial on the new cards would run through to March 2024. Current cards will continue to be recognised as valid until 31 March 2029, the department said, also noting that the validity period for the cards would be extended from five to eight years.

Why now?

The current card was introduced in 1998 but now fails to meet international standards regarding the technology it uses. Furthermore, it has become costly to maintain the old infrastructure around the current card, Mbalula said.