The Department of Transport says it is on track to deliver a new driver’s licence card and printing equipment for the country amid the initial challenges of finding suitable service providers.

It is still to be confirmed as to when the new driving licences will be launched as it was expected in March.

Departmental spokesperson Collen Msibi says the launch of the new driving licence is delayed by an audit process.

“With the evaluation and adjudication of the bids completed, the department is almost on the brink of pronouncing a new dawn in the driving licence card environment, with the audit process being the last hurdle standing in the way,” explains Msibi.

He says the department is, however, ‘on track to deliver’ the new driver’s licence card after the cabinet on August 30, 2022 gave a go-ahead to the department to produce a new driving licence card for the country.

According to Msibi, the department embarked on its first attempt to source a service provider to deliver a turnkey solution.

What you need to know about the new driving licence card:

• With the new printer, the Driving Licence Card Account should be able to produce a card within five working days. This is nine days faster than the current printer.
• The new card’s validity remains five years.
• Current cards will continue to be recognised as valid until March 31, 2029.
• They will introduce a new system with driving licence cards linked to smart-card technology.
• The new driving licence card will have improved security features, including biometric data, holograms, and watermarks, to reduce fraudulent licences and improve road safety.
• The new card will also make the SA driving licence compatible with the International Information Technology Personal Identification Compliant Driving Licence (ISO18013).
• The front of the card will display the driver’s name, gender, date of birth, ID number, and information about the licence, such as issuance date, code, licence number, and validity period – much like the old one.
• A photo of the licence holder will be shown on the front of the card, along with their signature.
• The card body will be made from 100% polycarbonate material with specifically designed security elements, as stated in the tender documents.