South Africa is one step away from getting digital driver’s licence cards

South Africa already has the means to move toward a digital driver’s licence card and vehicle licence disc system, with the only remaining step being a trivial software implementation.

This is according to Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones, who told our sister publication MyBroadband that most of the aspects needed to support a digital licence system have already been established.

“The technology exists at the record phase, the e-Natis database; the vehicle/driver phase, registration plates, VINs, and driver biometrics; and the enforcement phase,” he said.

The enforcement phase includes Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), biometric verification, and automatic cross-checking with e-Natis.

“All the components are there. It is merely a question of connecting them with a simple phone app for use by law enforcers,” he said.

Handfield-Jones noted that work is already underway to transition South Africa to a digital driver’s licence card system.

He said that all that remains to be done is to implement software and ensure that the system is made available to all law enforcement, rather than a select few municipalities with access to high-level hardware.

“A phone app for law enforcers is the obvious answer. Most modern phones have the capability to support an app with ANPR and biometrics.”

As for the software, this would need to be implemented by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

“The RTMC owns e-Natis and already allows external integration — vehicle owners experience this every time they renew their licence disc online.”

“E-Natis is a national asset. I first heard about the e-Natis roadside connected terminal plan in 2008, so there’s the question of what the RTMC has been doing in the intervening 18 years.”

All of this is in response to the government’s previous announcements, revealing that it is developing a new digital system for key documents, such as driver’s licences, identity documents, and matric certificates.

In February 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the new system was being developed by the Department of Home Affairs and that it would support digital driver’s licence cards.

“Soon, every South African will be able to access many of the services they need without having to visit a government office or fill out forms manually,” he said.

In November 2025, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi demonstrated how the new system would work, using the MyMzansi smartphone app.

Motorists can renew their licence cards in minutes by accessing the app’s digital wallet, which takes users to a digital licence page showing their credentials, names, card number, and any outstanding traffic fines.

Selecting a “Renew” option takes them to a form where they can input their ID number and contact information. Users also need to digitally sign the form and take a photo of themselves for verification purposes.

Once the application is complete, users are directed to a secure portal where they can pay using a credit or debit card, or online payment services like Apple Pay.

During the tabling of the 2026 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana revealed that the National Treasury had pledged another R150 million to the development of the MyMzansi app.

“In this adjusted budget, R150 million is allocated towards enhancing the technical capabilities of the digital services unit to lead the development of the MyMzansi app, which will allow citizens to access government services through a single digital platform,” he said.

Digital car licence discs for South Africa

The RTMC, an entity under the Department of Transport, plans to move away from physical vehicle licence discs towards a new electronic system that relies on number plate scanning technology.

One of the stated reasons for the shift is to combat fraud and corruption at driver’s licence testing centres (DLTCs).

Corrupt officials have been caught selling fraudulent driver’s licence cards and vehicle licence discs for between R3,500 and R14,000.

According to Motselesi Juma, the RTMC’s programme management office and strategy general manager, the issue is particularly prevalent in the public transport and freight logistics sectors, where fleet managers only register 10 out of 100 trucks or buses and use duplicate discs for the remaining 90.

Juma said that the RTMC plans to combat this fraud by modernising its systems, moving the country away from physical licences to a new “disc-less” environment where traffic officers scan vehicle number plates to check the registration.