The Department of Transport (DoT) has confirmed significant progress in reducing the massive backlog of driving licence cards.
It is also one step closer to having Home Affairs help with printing cards to bypass the unreliable and old printing machine currently in operation.
This marks a major change to the way cards will be made and potecially shorten the waiting time for new cards in the future.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the department had received prototype driving licence cards from the Government Printing Works (GPW), which will help speed up production and cut the waiting time for motorists.
The GPW already produces the country’s smart ID cards, and its new involvement could mark a turning point in the long-delayed modernisation of South Africa’s licensing system.
Creecy said the backlog in the production of driving licence cards has now been reduced to about 200,000 using the department’s old machine, down from around 330,000 in September.
“We’ve been working day and night using the existing machine and running three shifts,” she said.
The minister also noted that the department’s urgent high court application over the controversial R898 million tender for a new licence card printing system will not be opposed, allowing it to move ahead faster.
The legal dispute centres on a tender awarded in 2024 to Idemia Identity and Security South Africa, a subsidiary of the French technology company Idemia.
The tender (worth nearly R900 million) was meant to deliver a new card printing system to replace South Africa’s outdated equipment.
However, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) found several irregularities in how the contract was awarded.
Following those findings, the DoT filed a case in the Pretoria High Court in July 2025 to have the contract set aside.
The court has yet to set a hearing date, but the department’s confirmation that its application will not be opposed removes one major obstacle in resolving the issue.
The GPW should become the permanent producer of cards
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) played a key role in raising red flags about the tender. After meeting with Creecy, the group submitted a detailed report outlining alleged procurement irregularities.
Among its findings were that the contract’s cost had ballooned from the Cabinet-approved R486 million to R899 million—nearly double the initial budget.
It also pointed to flaws in the tender adjudication process, including outdated pricing, missing printing material costs, and scoring errors in the evaluation of machines.
In response, Creecy asked the Auditor-General to expand the scope of its investigation into OUTA’s claims.
The department said it does not want to mediate with Idemia because of unresolved disputes and concerns over the company’s other failed projects in South Africa.
This included the Airports Company South Africa’s cancellation of its biometric border control system contract with Idemia.
However, department legal adviser Advocate Adam Masombuka warned that cancelling the contract outright could lead to an interdict and a lengthy legal battle that might drag on for years.
To avoid further disruptions in licence card production, the DoT has asked the court to allow the Department of Home Affairs, working through the Government Printing Works, to take over printing in the interim.
The GPW’s recent delivery of prototype driving cards marks a crucial step in that plan. The DoT has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the GPW to ensure that South Africa has a reliable backup printing solution if the current system fails again.
The move has been welcomed by many observers, including the Automobile Association (AA), which has questioned whether the GPW should become the permanent producer of driving licence cards instead of relying on external contractors.
In the meantime, motorists waiting for their new cards won’t have to pay extra for temporary licences.
DoT spokesperson Collen Msibi confirmed that the department has decided to waive the R72 fee for temporary licences, ensuring that drivers remain legally compliant while delays continue.
Source: https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/841215/big-changes-for-driving-licences-in-south-africa-2/
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