News
Why your driver’s licence renewal plans are stuck after the R898 million tender collapse
The promise that hit a wall
For years, South African motorists have been told relief is coming. Fewer trips to the testing centre. A longer validity period. Less admin stress. The plan to extend driver’s licences from five years to eight sounded like a rare win for everyday road users.
Then the system hit a hard stop.
This week, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy confirmed why the long-promised change has still not happened. At the centre of the delay is the collapse of a massive R898 million tender meant to modernise the country’s driver’s licence card system.
Why the tender was scrapped
The Gauteng North High Court ruled that the tender for new driver’s licence card machines was unlawful and invalid. The court found that proper procurement procedures were not followed and that serious irregularities flagged by the Auditor General were ignored.
As a result, the tender was cancelled, and the Department of Transport was ordered to start the process again within 30 days.
For motorists, that decision matters more than it might sound. Without new card machines in place, the department cannot confidently roll out a longer licence validity period or fix persistent backlogs.
What happens to licence cards now
To prevent the system from grinding to a halt, the court allowed the department to temporarily outsource the printing and issuing of licence cards to the Department of Home Affairs.
This stopgap measure is meant to keep licences moving while a new service provider is appointed. It does not mean faster renewals overnight. It simply avoids a complete shutdown.
Anyone who has stood in a DLTC queue knows how fragile the system already feels.
The real reason eight years is still not signed off
Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Creecy explained that the delay is not just technical. It is also financial.
Producing driver’s licences is expensive. Extending validity from five to eight years means the state would collect renewal fees less often. That creates a revenue gap that has not yet been fully costed.
The department is currently running a financial impact study to avoid unintended consequences. In simple terms, the government wants to be sure the system can pay for itself if licences last longer.
One option on the table is adjusting the licence fee to balance the books.
How South Africans are reacting
Online reaction has been mixed but loud. Many motorists say they would gladly pay slightly more for fewer renewals and less time off work. Others worry that higher fees will hit lower-income drivers hardest, especially those already dealing with transport costs and rising fuel prices.
There is also growing frustration about how a critical public service ended up stalled by procurement failures yet again.
The bigger picture behind the delay
This is not just about plastic cards. It is about trust in public systems.
Driver’s licence renewals affect millions of people, from delivery drivers and ride-hailing operators to parents juggling school runs. When tenders collapse, the knock-on effects are felt far beyond government offices.
Creecy has said she hopes the issue will be resolved this year, once the financial study is complete and a new tender is in place. Until then, the five-year licence remains the law, and patience remains mandatory.
Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter, TikT
For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com
Source: IOL
Featured Image: ITWeb
