One of South Africa’s biggest cities is getting digital learner’s licence tests

Prospective learner drivers in the City of Cape Town can look forward to a seamless testing process, as the city finalises the rollout of computerised tests.

The digital transition aims to speed up the testing process and leave no room for marking errors.

This is according to the city’s MMC for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, who told Cape Talk the metro is completing the installations at its last two testing centres.

He explained that the installation of the new system began at 18 driver’s licence testing centres around Cape Town last year.

The computerised learner’s licence testing system has led to noticeable improvements at the testing centres that already offer it.

“The system is much faster. The person taking the test gets an immediate and accurate result; there’s no room for marking errors; it’s instant digital processing,” Smith said.

“It also, of course, means that it is harder to cheat. The booklet system had a couple of question templates, and these were widely in circulation with learner’s licence schools.”

He said that many driving schools train students using a narrow set of questions, which leads to learner drivers entering the environment without a deeper understanding of the rules, leaving them under-equipped.

Testing centres offer computerised tests in all 11 official languages and include accessibility features designed for the hearing impaired.

A backup power supply ensures the system will run uninterrupted in the event of a power outage.

Computerised learner tests were first introduced at a site in Mitchells Plain years ago, but a notable drop in the pass rate for learner’s licences was recorded.

“When you test for all possible questions, it does become more challenging, and we saw the pass rate significantly reduced,” Smith said.

He added that he would engage the provincial MEC to give better guidance to students who do not pass, to understand where they may have failed.

The easiest ways to renew your licence in South Africa

In September last year, the City of Cape Town opened a drive-through licence renewal centre in Brackenfell to simplify the licensing process.

Motorists can renew their licence discs without leaving their cars, saving time and effort.

The centre is located on the corner of Reservoir and Kruispad Roads in Brackenfell, with the metro planning to expand the offering to more locations.

The drive-through facility is entirely cashless, and caters for motor vehicle licence renewals exclusively.

Similarly, Gauteng offers motorists a cashless, 10-minute licence disc renewal process at a number of its Smart Driver Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs).

Currently, the Gauteng Transport Department operates several of these Smart DLTCs across the province, including in Atteridgeville, Denlyn, Maponya Mall, Centurion, Protea Glen and Midrand.

A new branch in Umphakathi is set to open soon, as the department accelerates the rollout of these centres.

Smart DLTCs are fully integrated into the eNaTIS administration system and have been specially designed to serve as hubs of licensing services.

They aim to deliver efficient, ethical, and modern licensing services directly to the province’s communities while upholding the department’s road safety objectives.

At these centres, motorists can apply for vehicle licence disc renewals, and even apply for new driving licences or renew their existing ones.