The year 2023 will see South Africa pilot a new driving licence card.
This follows an announcement made by the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula indicating not only the phasing out of the current driving license cards, but the decommissioning of the printing machine in 2023.
The system to be introduced will see driving license cards linked to smart-card technology being put into commission on a trial basis for a period up to March 2024. This will see the current cards, which were first introduced in 1998 continue to be recognised until March 31, 2029.
According to Mbalula, the current card fails to meet international standards in relation to the technology it employs, with the old infrastructure also becoming costly to maintain.
“The new proposed card will make the country’s driving licence compatible with the International Information Technology Personal Identification Compliant Driving Licence (ISO18013),” he said.
The International Organisation for Standadrisation (ISO) require physical attributes that will allow for the card to be secure from counterfeiting and alteration, which also enables the integration of more personal data, thereby allowing for opportunities to authenticate the document.
The new driving licence card will boast improved security features that include biometric data, holograms, and watermarks, aimed at reducing fraudulent licenses and improve road safety.
A conversation about the introduction of a new driving license card dates back to the beginning of 2022, when the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA), the sole producer of licences in the country, indicated the new smart card’s potential to allow for blockchain integration.
“The introduction of the new driving licence involves a new design of the driving licence card and the re-engineering of processes to allow for agility and focus on delivering services efficiently and quickly.”
“The project will allow for the adoption of digital technologies such as blockchain and other related technologies, which will form the platform of an integrated transport system,” said the DLCA.
This move comes on the back of challenges that saw major backlogs in the issuing of driving licenses due to technical failures that were experienced by the singular printing machine.
Mbalula added that this project will see the machine decommissioned during the course of 2023, with the new machines acquire and made available across the country for the printing of smart cards at a greater rate.
