AfriForum says South Africa’s 10-year driver’s licence extension is not good enough

As the comment window on the draft amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) closes, AfriForum said the proposed changes do not extend far enough.

The civil rights organisation noted that it supports the amendments, but believes they must be implemented without further delay and extend beyond passenger vehicle codes.

“These draft regulations are a step in the right direction, but it is important that the decision be implemented as soon as possible so that other challenges relating to driver licensing can receive attention,” said AfriForum spokesperson Louis Boshoff.

Once the new regulations are implemented, the validity period of half of South Africa’s licence codes will be extended from five years to ten years.

The affected licence codes include A, A1, B, or EB – the vehicles most commonly used by private motorists – while C1, C, EC1, or EC codes, covering medium and heavy commercial vehicles, will remain valid for 5 years.

In its official comments on the proposed amendments, the organisation pointed out that regulations could be expanded to include all licence codes. 

AfriForum said requirements relating to professional driving permits (PrDPs) provide for drivers who transport passengers or goods for payment to have their eyesight tested more frequently than drivers of family cars.

However, it added that continuing to limit heavy vehicle licences to a five-year validity period will discourage many people from training to drive heavy vehicles.

“It would be detrimental to the South African economy if fewer young people were able to drive heavy vehicles, as these types of licences are often a requirement when applying for jobs,” said Boshoff.

“It could also encourage lawlessness and result in large numbers of unlicensed and untrained drivers on the roads.”

“Nevertheless, the decision to extend has been made, and debate regarding the finer details of the regulations should not delay the implementation of the principle.”

South Africa still has a printer problem

AfriForum said that while it continues to push for the amendments to apply to all licence codes, it will also put pressure on the Transport Department to procure a new driving licence card printer.

It added that it will do so to ensure that future backlogs in the issuing of licence cards can be avoided – something that has become a problem in South Africa.

That said, the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) has outlined plans to reduce the average licence card production time to seven working days over the next three years.

It outlined these plans in its Annual Performance Plan for 2026/27, which Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said it can achieve by addressing backlogs, fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and addressing customer complaints.

To achieve its targets, the group needs to acquire new production equipment, since printer breakdowns risk its production goals.

South Africa’s single driving licence card printer broke in February 2025, leading to a 750,000-card backlog by the time it returned to service in May 2025.

Despite the DLCA extending its operating hours and working alongside the Government Printing Works (GPW), it took until 9 December 2025 to clear the backlog.

The Transport Department has also attempted to replace the 26-year-old printer, but has encountered many obstacles over the years.

Eventually, it appointed Idemia as the winning bidder to print new licences, sparking criticism from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), which submitted findings of irregularities to the minister.

Creecy instructed the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) to expand its investigation into the contract, which found various problems with the tender adjudication process.

The minister approached the Gauteng High Court for a declaratory order on how to proceed. In early January 2026, the court declared the tender irregular and invalid, and the matter is still unresolved.