South Africans could soon say goodbye to driving licence cards
South Africans may soon be able to say goodbye to their physical plastic driving licence card, as the government moves closer to launching a fully digital licence system.
A new team in the Presidency has reportedly already built a working digital driving licence in just three months, although it is still undergoing testing.
Once launched, applicants will be able to apply, verify their identity, pay, and store their driving licence entirely through a single mobile app.
This would mean no visits to licensing centres, no waiting periods, and no physical card required. The digital licence initiative forms part of a broader push to modernise service delivery in South Africa.
The project is being led by the Digital Service Unit (DSU), an organisation created earlier this year to help drive the government’s digital transformation strategy.
The unit collaborated with the Department of Transport to develop digital driving licence software using open-source digital public goods, ensuring the system can be scaled and integrated across various government platforms.
It will operate through MyMzansi, a new app designed to serve as a single entry point for government services.
This move follows growing pressure from civil society and experts who have long argued that South Africa should have transitioned to digital licensing years ago.
Road safety expert and Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones has been one of the most vocal advocates for scrapping physical licence cards and discs altogether.
He believes digital licensing could resolve many of the long-running issues that plague the country’s licensing system, including backlogs, printer breakdowns, long queues, and widespread administrative delays.
Handfield-Jones argued that physical documents are no longer necessary. Each driver already has unique biometric identifiers, and every vehicle has a unique Vehicle Identification Number.
He suggested that enforcement officers could simply check a motorist’s information through an app, similarly to how the South African Revenue Service manages tax through digital platforms.
No reason why South Africans should still have physical cards
He also believes the cost of developing and maintaining the digital system would be significantly lower than what the government currently spends on card printers and the production of plastic cards.
However, he has previously expressed doubt that the government would be willing to give up physical cards, claiming that the system generates revenue and may benefit entrenched interests.
He said there are no technological or practical barriers to going fully digital and that the real resistance lies in the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s reluctance to move away from analogue document production.
South Africa is not alone in exploring digital driving licences. Only a handful of countries, including Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Mexico, and a few US states, have made the transition.
Most provide a digital licence stored in an official app, verified through a QR code that enforcement officials can scan.
The technology needed for this already exists in South Africa, and the new DSU system demonstrated how it could be integrated.
This was demonstrated by the DSU deputy head Richard Gevers, who showed the system could work in South Africa.
He demonstrated how motorists’ identities are verified using facial biometrics and how the system directly links to NaTIS, processes payments, and generates a valid digital licence, complete with its own scannable QR code.
Instead of needing to complete an eye test at a licensing centre, motorists will be able to visit participating optometrists, who will provide them with a QR code containing their results to upload during the application process.
Additionally, the switch to digital licensing could dramatically improve turnaround times. Instead of waiting weeks or months for a card to be printed, a licence could be issued in minutes.
It could also ease pressure on licensing centres, which have struggled with backlogs, infrastructure issues, and administrative failures for years.
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