After more than three months of frustration for thousands of South Africans, the Department of Transport has confirmed that the infamous driving licence card printing machine is finally up and running again.
The breakdown, which began on 5 February 2025, resulted in a massive backlog of 747,748 unprinted licences.
According to a media statement released today, the Driving Licence Card Agency (DLCA) has resumed full operations.
Staff will now be working extended hours in an effort to deal with the mammoth backlog.
A catch-up plan is in place, although the Department noted that the pace of progress will also depend on how many new orders come through daily.
Here’s the backlog breakdown by province as of 2 May:
Gauteng: 252,745
KwaZulu-Natal: 115,020
Western Cape: 108,402
Mpumalanga: 66,833
Limpopo: 61,769
Eastern Cape: 55,393
North West: 39,983
Free State: 33,741
Northern Cape: 13,862
This machine has been the subject of national debate since it first failed in early February.
Read | Broken Driver’s Licence Printer Will Be Fixed by 12 May, Says Creecy
Initially, the Department said the printer was sent to Germany for repairs — raising eyebrows since South Africa only has one such machine, reportedly dating back more than two decades.
At one point, officials even hinted that a new machine would be procured later in the year, but critics slammed the delay in having a proper backup in place.
Now that it’s fixed, the focus shifts to clearing the backlog — and restoring public trust.
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