No More Plastic? Say Goodbye to the Driving Licence Card You Know

Published 9 Jan 2026 at 10:35 PM

by Mbalenhle Butale

4 min read

South Africa is set to introduce a new driving licence card, with digital licences planned for the future
The change follows years of delays caused by an outdated licence printer that repeatedly broke down
Government says physical cards will remain for now as digital systems are gradually rolled out

CHECK OUT: Discover How to Work with Brands, Earn from Affiliate Links, and Tap into Ad Revenue — Because Your Content Deserves to Pay Off.

Drivers licence — South Africans can expect major changes to the driver's licence card. Image: Viktor Zvetkovic/ Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

South Africans can expect major changes to the driving licence card, including a move towards digital licences linked to ID documents.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says the government plans to introduce a new type of physical driving licence card in the short term, with fully digital licences to follow later.

DON'T MISS IT: Stay Away From Fake News With Our Short, Free Fact-Checking Course. Join And Get Certified!

According to MyBroadband, the announcement follows a court ruling that set aside the appointment of Idemia as the preferred bidder to supply a new licence card printer.

South Africa currently relies on a single printer that has been in use since 1998 and is prone to frequent breakdowns.

A new licence card is coming first

As an interim solution, the department signed an agreement with Government Printing Works (GPW), which falls under the Department of Home Affairs, to print driving licence cards. While the system was meant to be operational by late 2025, delays, mainly due to integrating IT systems between the two departments, pushed the timeline back. Creecy says the systems are now connected, and the next step is to seek Cabinet approval for the new GPW-produced driving licence card. That decision is expected early in the year.

Driving licences are going digital, just not yet.

At the same time, the government is testing a digital driving licence that would be stored on a smartphone and linked to a person’s ID number. Creecy says driving licences are a key form of identification, which is why closer integration with Home Affairs’ population register makes sense. In the long term, the government aims to move towards a single digital ID system. Despite the push towards digital licences, Creecy says the government must proceed carefully. Many South Africans, particularly older citizens, still prefer a physical card. There are also concerns about whether all traffic officers currently have the equipment needed to scan digital licences.

No new driver's licence for people over 70

In related news, the Department of Transport has dismissed claims circulating online that elderly drivers will face new or stricter licence requirements. The department confirmed on 5 January 2026 that drivers, including those over 70, will not be subject to additional steps when applying for or renewing their licences. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s spokesperson, Collen Msibi, described the reports as false.“I’m not aware of any new regulations or different categories for older and younger drivers. The same rules apply to everyone. There simply isn’t any new regulation,” Msibi said.

Transport Department tackles licence backlog.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport says it expects to have fully cleared the driver’s licence card backlog by December 2025. In August 2025, more than 500,000 licences were outstanding due to the country’s only card printer being out of service. The machine was repaired in May 2025, after which daily printing resumed. Msibi said the department has since printed up to 834,000 licence cards, with around 539,000 applications still pending at the time of the update.