Good news for everyone with a driver’s licence, end of an era for traffic fines, and petrol prices take a turn for the worse

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Good news for everyone with a driver’s licence in South Africa

South Africa’s driver’s licence card validity period will be increased from five to eight years, significantly cutting down on the number of renewals motorists will need to apply for.

The government has finally started the process to extend South Africa’s licence validity period from five to eight years. The Department of Transport’s annual performance plan for 2026/27 outlined a roadmap for the implementation of longer licences.

However, the roadmap shows that the validity period extension will only be submitted to parliament for approval in 2027/28, indicating that it will still be a long time before the changes are put into effect.

Bad news about petrol prices

The fuel price adjustments for August have taken a turn for the worse, with recoveries dipping into the red next month.

This is according to data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) for the third week of July, indicating that the renewed tensions in the Middle East have taken their toll on South Africa’s fuel price recoveries.

The expected petrol price reduction has dropped by R1.50 per litre, while diesel is set to face a price hike next month.

End of an era for traffic fines in South Africa

South Africa’s new road laws are being rolled out in major cities across the country, making sweeping changes to the way traffic fines are processed.

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) was officially implemented on 1 July 2026 across 62 of South Africa’s largest municipalities. The remaining 151 municipalities will be added to the system in the third quarter of the financial year between October and December 2026.

Notably, this does not include any municipalities in the Western Cape for the time being, as the province has been temporarily excluded from the rollout.

South African road agency that spent R37 million on manager salaries wants to introduce a new tax on motorists

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is technically insolvent, yet it paid its top management team R37 million in 2025. This was revealed in the state-owned entity’s latest annual report, which showed a breakdown of its personnel costs and performance rewards in the 2025 financial year.

The report showed that the RAF’s personnel expenditure over the last year was R2.468 billion, accounting for 62% of its total costs. This included R232 million in performance rewards.

The Department of Transport now wants to introduce a new tax to support the RAF, which would be linked to vehicle registrations and licence disc renewals.

The man who plans to rescue Nissan in South Africa

Nissan South Africa has appointed Nissan Africa Chief Financial Officer, Juan Wheeler, as its new Managing Director and tasked him with unlocking the brand’s local potential.

Wheeler joined Nissan Africa as Chief Financial Officer in 2025 and has now been tasked with steering Nissan South Africa in the right direction as well.

This comes as the brand is undergoing a massive restructuring worldwide. In South Africa, the company recently sold its Rosslyn bakkie plant to Chery.