In his state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa told South Africans about finalising the National State Enterprises Bill that will harness digital transformation as a driver of growth, inclusion, and effective service delivery, including the introduction of digitalised driver’s licences among other legal documents.
The goal to move to a digital driving licence has been in the planning for a few years, with former transport minister Fikile Mbalula’s 2022 announcement that motorists would have the option to get a physical licence card or a digital licence at renewal time.
The new system is set to replace traditional plastic cards with a secure, smartphone-accessible digital version, but delays have plagued the launch, including the auditor-general finding several irregularities in the tender process and the Gauteng North High Court setting aside the appointment of French company Idemia Identity and Security as a preferred bidder for the driving licence card machine tender, declaring the tender was unlawful.
South Africa’s sole card machine printing licences that produces up to 22,000 cards a day has broken down many times, causing backlogs, and was due to be replaced with new equipment producing cards that had security features aimed at eliminating the risk of fraud and counterfeits.
A digital variant would drastically reduce the frequent backlog of plastic cards, with the instant processing intended to be available on a smartphone almost immediately after the online application and payment process is completed.
Safety and security will be assured through verification of credentials, including QR codes, facial biometrics and digital updates to personal details. A prototype is in the development stage. The Road Traffic Management Corporation’s Simon Zwane confirmed this and said an announcement will be made once all processes have been completed.
While the digital system offers near instantaneous, on-the-spot, or same-day issuance, it is in the prototype phase in South Africa, with public rollout planned to align with broader digital transformation efforts, including the MyMzansi platform.
Despite the setbacks, the digital revolution continues with new smart driving licence testing centres (DLTCs) being rolled out, especially in the Gauteng roads and transport department region. Smart DLTCs have opened in Atteridgeville, Denlyn, Maponya Mall, Centurion, Protea Glen, Midrand and the Mohlakeng area.
The smart centres expand access to licensing services in townships and underserved areas and significantly improve turnaround times for licence renewals and other services. The centres offer online, cashless services, with licence renewals taking about 10 minutes. The system is integrated into the eNaTIS administration system.
TimesLIVE
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