Good news for South Africa’s new driving licence cards

The Department of Transport (DoT) has announced the appointment of Idemia Identity and Security South Africa as the preferred bidder to produce new driving licence cards for the country’s motorists.

The appointment was approved on 8 August 2024, and Idemia is expected to enter a service-level agreement with the DoT before establishing the relevant infrastructure and systems.

The DoT said it would make more information regarding timeframes available to the public once the service agreement has been signed.

The department reiterated that the new licence cards will incorporate new security features to reduce the risks of fraudulent and counterfeit driving licences.

“Considering the cost drivers of producing the driving license and the risk of fraud and corruption, the new driving license will continue to be manufactured centrally,” it added.

The tender process for a service provider to produce new driving licences for South Africa has taken over a year, with applications for the contract closing on 5 May 2023.

Part of the tender process included procuring a new driving licence card printing machine, which former transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said was almost concluded in April 2024.

However, it was later revealed that the department had only shortlisted five bidders in June and hadn’t adjudicated the tender. Once again, the DoT assured that it was in the final stages of the tender process.

In July 2024, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) slammed the DoT over delays in the process and an apparent lack of transparency surrounding the contract.

“Outa has for the past few years tried to engage meaningfully with these transport entities on various issues, but to no avail,” it said.

“We are concerned that the secrecy is hiding problematic activities,” said Outa executive director, Advocate Stefanie Fick.

“Outa has for the past few years tried to engage meaningfully with these transport entities on various issues, but to no avail.”

Outa demanded answers to the following questions:

• Why has the procurement of the new driving licence card machine been delayed for more than a year?
• Why has the department decided not to extend the validity of driving licences despite the cumbersome system?
• Does the card machine procurement plan rely on retaining the five-year validity period for the cards?
• Why won’t the department explain how it calculates the fees it charges for licences and how these funds are distributed?

The DoT’s Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) also previously announced that the department was no longer considering extending the validity of driving licences from five years to 8–10 years.

Former transport minister Fikile Mbalula, who served from May 2019 to March 2023, had commissioned the RTMC to investigate the viability of extending the validity period.

He promised to propose an extension to eight years before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet, but no such change came about.

However, RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi said many accidents on South African roads relate to infectious and other diseases, making regular eye tests crucial. Therefore, the validity period will remain five years.

“Outa questions the motives of the RTMC as the ultimate decision to extend the validity period lies with the Minister of Transport and the Minister should not be influenced by an entity with vested financial interests in the decision,” said Fick.

“In simple terms, we find these reasons advanced by the RTMC to be ludicrous.”

Outa firmly believes the validity period should be extended to 10 years.