Why a Digital Licence Is the Only Way to Save South African Motorists from the Broken Printer Nightmare

It’s Time to Ditch the Plastic!

Let’s not sugar-coat it — South Africa’s driver’s licence system is in shambles. And no, it’s not because motorists are slacking off.

The real issue is a decaying, corrupt system propped up by one ageing licence card printer that breaks down more often than Eskom’s promises.

That 27-year-old relic is the only one in the country. It’s been out of action for over two months, and we’re now being told — fingers crossed — it’ll be back online by mid-May.

Meanwhile, thousands of motorists are stranded without valid cards, fined for expired licences they literally can’t renew.

This isn’t a technical glitch. It’s a systemic failure.

So when Rob Handfield-Jones, MD of Driving.co.za, told Parliament to scrap the plastic card and go digital — he wasn’t dreaming. He was stating the obvious.

And here’s the kicker: we’ve known about digital licences since 2021. Former transport minister Fikile Mbalula announced them in 2022, saying eDLs would follow a new physical card rollout in October 2023. That plan? Still hasn’t happened.

In fact, the French company Idemia, appointed to supply new cards and printers, only got the contract in August 2024 — a year late. The contract price? Bloated from R468 million to over R1 billion, now under investigation after OUTA raised red flags about alleged tender rigging.

Why the delays? Because the current system is a cash cow. Handfield-Jones says it outright: “There is no technological or practical obstacle to digital licensing… This is because licence card renewals are a money-making racket.”

And he’s right. The eNatis system already stores all driver and vehicle data. The AARTO Act even mandates traffic officers to carry digital terminals that can scan digital licences.

Read | Advice for Drivers Whose Licence Cards Expired During the Printing Machine Breakdown

So what’s the holdup?

Truth is, we’re being held hostage by a failed system because it generates revenue — not because it works.

Going digital means:

• No more plastic cards — just a secure app or QR code on your phone.
• No more endless queues at DLTCs.
• No more wasted taxpayer money on broken printers and dodgy tenders.
• Better enforcement, less fraud, and a greener footprint.

Countries like Denmark, Iceland, and Mexico already issue digital licences. So what’s stopping us?

The excuse now is “budgetary constraints.” But that’s hard to swallow when over a billion rand is being spent on three new printers for a system that should’ve been retired years ago.

Enough is enough. The digital infrastructure exists. The smartphones are in our hands. What’s missing is political will — and the courage to unplug a corrupt, broken machine.

Motorists deserve better. It’s time to ditch the plastic and go digital — for good.