11/06/2026
Indaba ZASE Maklera
NUMBER PLATES TO REPLACE PAPER LICENCES.
South African motorists may soon bid farewell to physical vehicle licence discs as the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) moves towards a fully digital vehicle licensing system based on number plate recognition technology.
The RTMC, an entity of the Department of Transport, revealed the plans during a presentation on its Annual Performance Plan to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 3 June 2026.
The proposed shift comes amid growing concerns over corruption and fraud within the country’s licensing system. Investigations have uncovered syndicates involving traffic officers, driving licence examiners and even members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), who allegedly facilitated the sale of fraudulent driving licences for amounts ranging between R3,500 and R14,000.
RTMC Programme Management Office and Strategy General Manager Motselesi Juma said the organisation had also identified widespread abuse of fraudulent vehicle licence discs, particularly within the public transport and freight logistics sectors.
According to Juma, some operators were registering only a small portion of their fleets and using manipulated duplicate licence discs on unregistered vehicles. In some cases, only 10 out of 100 trucks or buses would be legally licensed, while the remaining vehicles operated using fraudulent copies.
To address the problem, the RTMC is developing a “discless” system that will allow traffic officers to verify vehicle registration details instantly by scanning number plates using specialised electronic devices.
The new “e-force” gadgets will also enable officers to issue and record traffic fines electronically, replacing traditional paper-based ticket books.
The technology forms part of preparations for the nationwide implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system, which is scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2026.
In addition, the RTMC plans to digitise the driving licence testing and application process to curb the illegal sale of driving licences at Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs).
Juma noted that approximately 2.8 million of South Africa’s 13.5 million licence holders have already registered on the eNatis online platform, which allows motorists to access services such as vehicle licence disc renewals electronically.
