Work underway to replace current driving licence cards

GAUTENG – Government is working on replacing the current driving licence card with a new card that has more secure design features and will comply with the international driving licence standard. “The current driving licence card was introduced in 1998 and the production equipment was procured in the same year. The technology has become obsolete,” Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said on Friday during a media briefing in Midrand.

The Minister is expected to publish the changes to the driving licence card in the government gazette. “This will then enable us to commence with the procurement process for the new production infrastructure in October 2022. The new card will be piloted from 1 November 2023 until 31 March 2024.

“The current driving licence card and the equipment used to produce it will be decommissioned on 1 April 2024. However, there will be a five-year period of transition from the old card to the new. The current cards will continue to be recognised as valid licence cards until 31 March 2029,” Mbalula said.