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

The initial cost of South Africa’s new 10-year driving licence cards could increase, but they would have a lower effective annual cost compared to the current 5-year cards.

Department of Transport Director John Motsatsing suggested this to Parliament’s Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and the Minister in the Presidency during a briefing on the extension.

One of the biggest concerns about the validity period extension is the financial implications of the change.

In response to a question about this, Motsatsing said the department was considering increasing the card production fee to offset future revenue reductions.

He added that while this would increase the upfront fee paid, it would have a lower financial impact on motorists over a period of ten years instead of only five.

Currently, driving licence card renewals in South Africa cost between R216 and R250, depending on the municipal office or Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC).

The director also explained that the department may not need to double the current driving licence card fees to maintain its current effective cost recovery per year.

This should be welcomed by the civil society groups and industry experts who have, for years, lobbied for Cabinet to approve the extension.

These groups include the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) and Driving.co.za director Rob Handfield-Jones.

After the extension was approved and gazetted, OUTA argued that the renewal process should not be a money-making exercise but reflective of costs.

Handfield-Jones has said that South Africa’s vehicle and driving licence card system should promote road safety, but added that he would prefer that both the driving licence and licence disc systems operate digitally.

The proposed changes were gazetted in August, and the comment period closed last month, leaving the final gazetting of the changes as the last step before implementation.

Once adopted, code A, A1, B and EB licences for light motor vehicles issued after the adjustment will be valid for 10 years.

8-year extension rejected

The Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) Chief Director, Johannes Makgatho, explained that Cabinet approved a 10-year validity period, instead of the 8 years recommended by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

He said an independent study conducted by Zutari on behalf of the RTMC initially proposed an 8-year validity period but recommended further research.

After considering the broader policy framework, Cabinet concluded that 10 years would be more appropriate, considering modernisation goals, backlog reduction, and international trends.

Former Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi nearly derailed the extension plan by suggesting that the report found the validity period could not be extended due to the prevalence of communicable diseases.

This claim was based on a single mention of physical ailments in the report, which stated that eye health could affect driving capabilities.

Researchers noted that eye tests were generally infrequent in South Africa and the visual acuity tests typically performed at licensing centres were inadequate.

They also found that the best solution would be for optometrists and ophthalmologists to perform and submit eye tests before a renewal is approved.

That said, they did not consider this issue a sufficient reason to retain a 5-year validity period, since countries with the lowest road accident rates typically had longer validity periods.

Makgatho also reaffirmed plans to replace the current plastic laminated cards with polycarbonate versions, similar to the smart ID card.

The Transport Department was forced to reissue a tender to produce the new cards in February 2026 after cancelling the controversial contract awarded to French firm Idemia in 2025.

The department has not yet announced the preferred or winning bidders for the newly re-advertised tender, while an interdepartmental working group is developing a digital licence card.