A staggering two-and-a-half million vehicle owners have used the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s (RTMC) online vehicle licence disc renewal service since its launch in 2022, the entity recently revealed.
The RTMC launched online vehicle licence disc renewals in February 2022 through the National Traffic Information System (Natis) in a bid to reduce queues at Driver’s Licence Testing Centres and expand government’s digital offerings.
Since then the service has boomed in popularity, the RTMC said in a recent media statement.
In August 2022, the platform saw a total of 44,802 applicants, equating to an average of about 1,445 renewals per day.
Fast forward to August 2024, and the Natis service saw a tremendous 222,606 applications for an average daily amount of 7,181 renewals.
“Vehicle owners are abandoning long queues at vehicle licensing centres in ever-increasing numbers and opting to renew their vehicle licences online to save time,” said the RTMC.
The RTMC also said it strives to deliver vehicle licences within three to five days, a target it has been able to achieve 97% of the time.
Natis competitors
The Natis platform is one of many online car licence disc renewal services in South Africa, but at a cost of R99, it’s not the cheapest.
That accolade goes to FNB, who is currently running a promotion that allows motorists to renew their vehicle licence discs for the grand total of R69 until December 2024 at the very least.
Other service providers are also available depending on your location, such as Shoprite, Spar, Renewonline, and Disky.
It should be mentioned that out of these providers, Spar is the only one that does not have an online service. Customers are required to visit participating Spar outlets to submit their application, and they must pick up their new discs at the same location once ready.
You can compare the cost of these various licence disc renewal services in the table below:
| Service | Availability | Admin fee | Delivery fee | Total cost |
| FNB | Nationwide | Included | Included | R99 (R69 promo) |
| Natis Online | Nationwide | Included | R99.00 | R99 |
| South African Post Office | Nationwide | R72.00 | R75.00 | R147 |
| Shoprite Money Market | Nationwide | R110.25 | R74.75 | R185 |
| Spar | Select stores | R199.00 | Included | R199 |
| Renewonline | Nationwide | R100.00 | R115.00 | R220-240 |
| Disky | Nationwide | R169.00 | R70.00 | R239 |
It’s worth noting that the prices detailed in the above table are not what you will pay to renew your car’s licence disc.
The total cost is dependent on the tare weight of your car and the address at which it is registered.
Heavier vehicles do more damage to the country’s roads and are therefore required to pay higher licence fees to compensate for this, as these funds are earmarked for road maintenance and upgrades.
Passenger cars in South Africa generally range between 750kg for small hatchbacks like the Renault Kwid, to 2,500kg for something along the lines of the Ford Everest adventure SUV. The former will pay less for their new disc, while the latter will pay more.
Additionally, provincial traffic departments have the freedom to set and update their rates for vehicle licence renewals as they see fit.
Limpopo is the most recent one to do so in 2024, while the Eastern Cape has not updated its fees since 2018.
At present, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are the priciest provinces to renew vehicle licence discs, whereas the North West ranks as the most affordable.
Join the discussion