South Africa’s Driving Licence Card Backlog: Department of Transport Aims for December 2025 Clearance

In a nation where millions rely on personal vehicles for daily commutes, the ability to legally operate a motor vehicle isn’t just a convenience—it’s a necessity. Yet, for hundreds of thousands of South Africans, a critical component of that legality has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo. The Department of Transport has now publicly declared its intention to clear the massive backlog of driving licence card productions by December 2025, but is this ambitious timeline truly achievable?

The Breakdown That Started It All

The roots of the current crisis trace back to February 2025, when the specialized machine responsible for producing the country’s driving licence cards suffered a catastrophic breakdown. This single point of failure brought the entire system to a grinding halt, creating what would become a staggering backlog of more than 730,000 cards by the time the machine returned to service in early May.

Collen Msibi, spokesperson for the Department of Transport, provided sobering context in an interview with SABC News: “Since the end of May until the 11th of August, we’ve been able to print up to 834,000 driver’s licence cards. But it leaves us with a 539,000 backlog.”

The Uphill Battle Against Daily Demand

What makes eliminating this backlog particularly challenging isn’t just the sheer number of outstanding cards—it’s the relentless influx of new applications that continue to pour in daily. Msibi explained the mathematical reality facing the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA): “On a daily basis, we get more than 10,000 applications. So, that is why it is difficult for the backlog to go down.”

This constant stream of new applications creates a scenario where the department must not only address the existing backlog but also keep pace with current demand. It’s akin to trying to empty a bathtub with the tap still running—possible, but requiring exceptional effort and efficiency.

Current Production Capacity and Timeline Realities

The DLCA is currently operating at maximum capacity, producing between 10,500 and 11,500 new cards daily. Despite this impressive output, the turnaround time for a new driving licence card has stretched to approximately eight to nine weeks—a significant increase from the four to six weeks mentioned in June 2025 and far longer than the normal two-week processing time under regular circumstances.

Based on the daily catch-up rate of roughly 2,187 cards maintained over the past three months, simple arithmetic suggests it would take another 247 days—or more than eight months—to clear the current backlog. This projection would place the clearance date around April 2026, assuming the aging machine doesn’t experience another breakdown.

The Fragile Machine and Backup Solutions

The heart of the problem lies in the department’s reliance on a single, aging machine that represents a critical point of failure for the entire system. The constant operation at maximum capacity increases the likelihood of another breakdown, which would have devastating consequences for the clearance timeline.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced during her July 2025 budget vote speech that the department had finally signed an agreement with the Government Printing Works (GPW) for a backup solution. This system, expected to be ready around October 2025, is intended to mitigate future downtime of the current printer.

However, this backup solution has not been without its critics. Rob Handfield-Jones, managing director of Driving.co.za, has questioned why the government continues to insist on physical driving licence cards in an increasingly digital age. Meanwhile, the Automobile Association of South Africa has raised questions about why the GPW cannot print the new planned polycarbonate smart driving licence cards, considering it already produces smart ID cards.

The Human Impact Beyond the Numbers

Behind these statistics lie real people facing genuine difficulties. For professional drivers, an expired licence can mean the inability to work and provide for their families. For ordinary citizens, it represents legal vulnerability every time they get behind the wheel for essential trips to work, school, or healthcare facilities.

The extended processing times create a cascade of complications. Many motorists who applied for renewals before their licences expired now find themselves driving with expired documents while waiting for the new ones—a legal gray area that leaves them potentially vulnerable to fines or other complications during traffic stops.

Looking Toward the Future

The Department of Transport’s December 2025 target represents an ambitious goal that would require maintaining current production rates without any further interruptions. The promised backup system from the Government Printing Works could prove crucial in achieving this timeline, provided it comes online as scheduled and performs as expected.

Longer-term solutions might involve reconsidering the very necessity of physical cards. As other countries move toward digital driver’s licences accessible through smartphone apps, South Africa may need to confront whether continuing to invest in specialized printing equipment represents the most forward-thinking approach to licence management.

For now, South African motorists continue to wait—hoping that the department’s optimistic timeline holds true, that the fragile machine continues functioning, and that the promised backup system arrives before the next crisis emerges. The road to clearing the backlog remains fraught with potential obstacles, but the department appears committed to reaching its December 2025 destination.

Only time will tell whether this commitment, coupled with the new backup solutions, will be enough to restore normalcy to South Africa’s driving licence system and provide relief to the hundreds of thousands still waiting for their essential documents.