IN CONVERSATION WITH COLLEN MSIBI
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he Department of Transport has confirmed that South Africa’s only driving licence card printing machine is back in operation after being offline since 5 February 2025. While this has allowed printing to resume and some progress to be made in reducing the massive backlog, long-term issues with the country's card printing system remain unresolved.
As of 2 May 2025, the backlog stood at 747,748 unprinted cards, with only 14,500 cards cleared since the machine returned to operation at the start of May. This highlights the scale of the challenge ahead.
The backlog per province is as follows:
Gauteng: 252,745
KwaZulu-Natal: 115,020
Western Cape: 108,402
Mpumalanga: 66,833
Limpopo: 61,769
Eastern Cape: 55,393
North West: 39,983
Free State: 33,741
Northern Cape: 13,862
To help reduce the backlog, working hours at the Driving Licence Card Agency have been extended. However, the department has acknowledged that progress will also depend on the volume of new card orders received daily.
The licence card printer—now 26 years old—has experienced over 160 breakdowns in its lifetime and was offline for 38 working days in 2025 alone. From 2022 to 2024, it was out of service for a total of 129 working days, indicating a growing frequency of technical failures. To date, the Department has spent R12 million on repairs and an additional R4.4 million in overtime to mitigate delays.
No Replacement in Sight
Despite the urgency, the Department of Transport has no clear timeline for procuring new printing machines. A tender process initiated to acquire three new machines—with the promise of local maintenance and enhanced card security—has stalled due to an Auditor-General investigation into procurement irregularities. A R900 million contract was suspended, and the department is now awaiting a High Court declaratory order for guidance on how to proceed.
Until that order is granted, South Africa remains reliant on its ageing, single machine, which must be sent overseas for repairs—causing further delays.
Calls for Reform Ignored
Civil society group OUTA has repeatedly called for reform, proposing solutions like extending licence validity to 10 years or introducing digital driving licences. However, these proposals have been rejected by the department, allegedly due to concerns over lost revenue from renewals and temporary licences.
OUTA has also criticized the system for encouraging the use of temporary driving licences—which come at an extra cost to drivers—as they wait for their permanent cards.
The Road Ahead
The department has committed to providing progress updates as it works through the backlog, but with the printer’s limited capacity—estimated at 14,000 to 19,000 cards per 14-hour shift—it could take 40 to 53 working days to catch up, excluding any new orders.
With rising frustration among motorists, stalled reforms, and no replacement printer secured, the backlog is not just an administrative issue—it’s a national service crisis in the making.
As of 2 May 2025, the backlog stood at 747,748 unprinted cards, with only 14,500 cards cleared since the machine returned to operation at the start of May. This highlights the scale of the challenge ahead.
The backlog per province is as follows:
Gauteng: 252,745
KwaZulu-Natal: 115,020
Western Cape: 108,402
Mpumalanga: 66,833
Limpopo: 61,769
Eastern Cape: 55,393
North West: 39,983
Free State: 33,741
Northern Cape: 13,862
To help reduce the backlog, working hours at the Driving Licence Card Agency have been extended. However, the department has acknowledged that progress will also depend on the volume of new card orders received daily.
The licence card printer—now 26 years old—has experienced over 160 breakdowns in its lifetime and was offline for 38 working days in 2025 alone. From 2022 to 2024, it was out of service for a total of 129 working days, indicating a growing frequency of technical failures. To date, the Department has spent R12 million on repairs and an additional R4.4 million in overtime to mitigate delays.
No Replacement in Sight
Despite the urgency, the Department of Transport has no clear timeline for procuring new printing machines. A tender process initiated to acquire three new machines—with the promise of local maintenance and enhanced card security—has stalled due to an Auditor-General investigation into procurement irregularities. A R900 million contract was suspended, and the department is now awaiting a High Court declaratory order for guidance on how to proceed.
Until that order is granted, South Africa remains reliant on its ageing, single machine, which must be sent overseas for repairs—causing further delays.
Calls for Reform Ignored
Civil society group OUTA has repeatedly called for reform, proposing solutions like extending licence validity to 10 years or introducing digital driving licences. However, these proposals have been rejected by the department, allegedly due to concerns over lost revenue from renewals and temporary licences.
OUTA has also criticized the system for encouraging the use of temporary driving licences—which come at an extra cost to drivers—as they wait for their permanent cards.
The Road Ahead
The department has committed to providing progress updates as it works through the backlog, but with the printer’s limited capacity—estimated at 14,000 to 19,000 cards per 14-hour shift—it could take 40 to 53 working days to catch up, excluding any new orders.
With rising frustration among motorists, stalled reforms, and no replacement printer secured, the backlog is not just an administrative issue—it’s a national service crisis in the making.
