Bad news about driving licences in South Africa

The Auditor-General (AG) has concluded an investigation into a controversial driver’s licence card printing machine tender that could significantly delay South Africa’s new licence cards.

South Africa is moving to new smart driving licence cards with enhanced security features to combat fraud and counterfeiting.

Another benefit is that the new driving licence cards would be produced at a faster rate, cutting down on motorists’ waiting times to renew their licences.

The Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA), a Department of Transport entity, had to procure a new machine to produce the new cards.

South Africa’s current driver’s licence card printing machine is 26 years old and has experienced 159 breakdowns.

There is no backup printing machine, which means a breakdown can significantly delay motorists’ getting their new licence cards.

On 1 September 2024, the Department of Transport announced that it had appointed IDEMIA Identity and Security to produce new smart driving licence cards.

However, this tender was marred with controversy, including the contract price ballooning from the budgeted R468 million to R899 million.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) also alleged tampering with the pricing envelopes in the bids and that at least one bidder was wrongly marked down.

On 5 September 2024, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy requested the Auditor-General to expedite and widen the scope of this tender.

It included whether supply chain management prescripts were followed, personal data safety specifications, and IDEMEIA’s technical capacity.

In January 2025, the Auditor-General handed the investigation report to the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy.

Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi said the report was being studied, and a public statement on its findings would be issued at an appropriate time.

Creecy committed to releasing an executive summary of the Auditor-General report, including recommendations on the way forward.

New driving licence card delay

The latest debacle surrounding the new driving licence card printing machine tender will further delay South Africa’s progress towards smart licences.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet approved the new driving licence cards and printer plan in August 2022 and issued the relevant tender.

The aim was a three-year phased rollout of the new system from 2023 to 2026. However, this did not happen.

The missed deadlines were blamed on issues surrounding the printing machine tender, which was withdrawn, and a new one issued in 2023.

Former Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said printing the new driving licence cards would begin in April 2024. Again, this did not happen.

In July 2024, there was encouraging news that IDEMIA Identity was selected and would procure three driving licence card printing machines.

Two machines will be used at the primary driving licence card production site, while one will be reserved for the disaster recovery site.

This meant that South Africa would no longer be reliant on a single printing machine, which was prone to breakdowns and long delays.

Creecy added that the new machines will be maintained and repaired in South Africa, unlike the current machine, which must be shipped overseas for repairs.

However, should the Auditor-General report point to wrongdoing, it is a distinct possibility and can cause further delays.

Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage has already called on Creecy to cancel the current tender and reopen a new one with robust oversight mechanisms.

He added that if the minister decides to award the tender to Idemia and not halt the process, it will likely lead to litigation.

Therefore, South Africans should not expect to see the new driving licence cards and quicker turnaround times anytime soon.

This is a blow to South African motorists who dread renewing their driving licence cards every five years due to the unpleasant experience associated with it.