South Africa is getting new number plates

The Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal departments of transport have confirmed that new number plates will be rolling out in the provinces very soon.

The Gauteng Department of Transport (GDoT) confirmed to TopAuto that it plans to launch the prototype for the province’s new number plates in October 2023.

Meanwhile, in KwaZulu Natal, the local DoT said that it has just launched the process to revise its plates.

Gauteng number plates

The new plates for Gauteng are designed to curb the high number of fraudulent plates in the province. The GDoT noted that an estimated 80% of criminal acts in the province involve the use of a vehicle which is more often than not affixed with falsified number plates.

In July 2023, Premier Panyaza Lesufi noted that the province’s registration plates for cars were running out of numeric and alphabetic combinations, and the province is using this as an opportunity to overhaul the system.

However, responding to questions posed by TopAuto, the GDoT said the new Gauteng plates will incorporate enhanced security measures, and they will retain the current alphanumeric format (e.g. AA 11 AA GP) until the total number of possible combinations is exhausted – which is only expected to happen around 2038.

Lesufi also noted that the plates will be tamper-proof and difficult to clone. While the department has not disclosed the details of the security enhancements, they have formed a technical reference group consisting of important stakeholders from the number plate value chain, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant parties, reported TopAuto.

“The technical reference group is advising the provincial government on which upgrades will be the most suitable to crack down on unlawful cloning, with the final details to be revealed when the prototype plate is launched next month,” said the GDoT.

It added that the new plates would also enhance revenue collection that was lost due to ineffective vehicle identification in traffic fine enforcement.

Included in the preparation of new licence plates, the Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, on Monday, 3 July 2023, officially launched the registration process for manufacturers of vehicle number plates.

This is to ensure that manufacturers and embossers of number plates also operate within the bounds of the law.

The registration process – running from 1 July to 30 September 2023 – requires manufacturers to submit their applications for scrutiny to guarantee accuracy and compliance. Compliance inspectors will diligently inspect the production sites of embossers to ensure adherence to regulations.

Once an application is approved, manufacturers will be required to sign a Service Level Agreement with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and make the necessary payments.

KwaZulu-Natal number plates

According to TopAuto, the KZN Department of Transport has met with delegates from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) for assistance in expediting the process to get new plate standards.

The province said that all other provinces have a continuous numbering system except for KZN and the Western Cape, and shifts in registration behaviour has necessitated the need for a new format.

Current plates in the province have a host of codes indicating where they were registered – such as ND for Durban, PMB for Pietermaritzburg, NPN for Pinetown, etc. However, vehicles with these respective codes aren’t necessarily kept in those areas.

The new alphanumeric format that will be used has not been determined yet, however. This will be determined as the process for new plates continues, the department said.

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