Big problems for South Africans renewing their driving licence

South Africans wanting to renew their driver’s licence will likely face significant delays, as reports indicate the country’s sole printing machine has stopped working and needs to be fixed again.

On 23 March 2025, the City Press reported that insiders at the Department of Transport noted that the country’s only licence card printing machine had stopped working in January.

The sources added that the machine breaks down frequently, which has resulted in a growing backlog of driver’s licences waiting to be printed.

Additionally, an individual told MyBroadband that they applied to renew their licence at a Western Cape Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC).

However, they were told that that centre, in particular, hadn’t issued any driving licence cards that had been applied for in 2025—which supports the information given to the City Press.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy raised concerns over the machine’s status in early March 2025 when she acknowledged that a significant production backlog was forcing DLTCs to issue temporary licences.

“It’s common knowledge that the existing machine is very old. We are trying to enhance maintenance efforts so that it can resume printing, but I have also requested the acting director general to look at interim solutions,” she added.

Following this report, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) wrote to Creecy demanding answers, adding that this is another reason why the department should extend the driving licence validity period.

Outa said it has long advocated for extending the validity period of the driver’s licence card from five to ten years.

“This move would alleviate administrative burdens, reduce backlogs, and lower costs for both motorists and the government,” it said.

“Research we undertook in 2022 shows that many countries have already extended the validity period of their driver’s licence cards to ten years or more without compromising road safety,” added Outa’s CEO, Wayne Duvenage.

“It should also be noted that a ten-year validity period was gazetted in 2013 but then mysteriously withdrawn,” added Duvenage. “We believe the Department of Transport cannot continue to avoid this issue.” 

He further noted, referring to the City Press report, that yet another breakdown of South Africa’s only driver’s licence card printing machine adds to the urgency of the situation.

“Motorists are once again being subjected to delays and inconvenience due to the ongoing failures of this outdated system,” said Duvenage.

“The Department must explain why the machine is not operational, despite previous repairs and maintenance contracts.”

Adding further problems to the situation is that Creecy initiated legal action to block the awarding of a contract for new printing driving licence printing machines following an investigation into the tendering process.

Among the proposals under the new tender was procuring three driving licence card printing machines.

The new machines would also be maintained and repaired in South Africa, unlike the current machines, which must be shipped overseas for repairs.

However, the Department of Transport has been advised that cancelling the smart card drivers’ licence tender could exacerbate the backlog problem.

Advocate Adam Masombuka, the department’s chief director of legal service, said cancelling the R500 million smart card driver’s licence tender awarded to French company Idemia would have serious consequences.

“It will lead to an interdict and a protracted review legal process that can take years, compared with appointing the preferred bidder.”

Outa also criticised this advice in its letter to the department and Minister Creecy, highlighting that, in principle, the tender cannot proceed.

“Outa is concerned over a recent legal opinion advising Minister Creecy to proceed with the driving licence card printing contract with Idemia,” the organisation said.

This is despite the fact that the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) found irregularities in the tender process.

“The AGSA report clearly stated that the winning bid was non-compliant with supply chain management prescripts, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Treasury Regulations and Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) policies, amongst others.” 

“Consequently, Minister Creecy has instructed the department to lodge a High Court application for a declaratory order to block the award of the tender.”

“Proceeding with the Idemia contract despite the auditor general’s findings would be a serious governance failure,” said Duvenage.

“If Idemia challenges the cancellation in court, Outa and possibly other tendering companies will not hesitate to oppose them.”

According to recent reports, South Africa’s current licence card printing machine is 26 years old and has experienced 159 breakdowns. 

Outa has requested transparency and action and calls on Minister Creecy and the Department of Transport to urgently provide clarity on these three issues.

“We believe these matters can no longer be ignored. The public deserves transparency on the government’s plans to modernise the licensing system and address the backlog,” said Duvenage.