Millions of South African motorists are set to spend far less time in renewal queues after Cabinet approved the extension of the validity period of driving licence cards for light motor vehicles and motorcycles from five years to 10 years.
The announcement was made by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni in Pretoria on Thursday, as she briefed the media on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The extension applies to licence codes A, A1, B and EB, which cover motorcycles and light motor vehicles, according to SAnews.
Why the change makes sense
The decision was informed by a study undertaken by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, which found that a longer validity period would bring South Africa in line with international best practice.
“The change aligns with international best practice, enhances administrative efficiency, reduces the frequency of renewals for motorists and eases service-demand pressures within the licensing system,” Ntshavheni said.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa both welcomed Cabinet’s approval, which clears the way for draft notices to be submitted for public comment and legal scrutiny before the change becomes law.
What stays the same
The 10-year cycle will apply only to light motor vehicles and motorcycles. Other categories keep their existing arrangements:
- Heavy commercial and public transport vehicle licences remain on their current renewal cycles;
- Professional Driving Permits, used by taxi, bus and truck drivers, stay on a two-year renewal cycle.
Implementing the longer validity period requires an amendment to regulation 108 of the Road Traffic Regulations, and the Department of Transport has advised motorists to keep renewing expired cards in the meantime.
“Motorists must therefore continue to renew expired driving licence cards until the new law takes effect,” the department said in a statement on Thursday.
A licensing system under less pressure
For ordinary drivers, the benefits are easy to count: half as many renewal appointments over a decade, half as many card fees, and far fewer hours spent at licensing centres. For the licensing system itself, the change is expected to free up capacity, shorten queues and allow staff to focus on first-time applications and professional permits.
The reform forms part of a broader push to make government services simpler and more efficient, and it lands as one of those rare policy changes that saves time and money for nearly every household with a car or motorcycle in the driveway.
Once the legislative amendments are complete, a South African licence card ordered from the card production facility will remain valid for a full decade – a small change on paper that adds up to a big win for motorists across the country.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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