Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, says the department will present a new driver’s licence card machine for approval at the first Cabinet meeting of the year.

The machine (from Germany) that produces driver’s licenses is old… No other country in the world is still using that machine… It’s going to be a new machine that is going to be on par with the developed world.

“Over and above that, [we] are introducing a new card [machine] that doesn’t need to go to Germany to be fixed. Once cabinet approves that, new machines are going to come,” he said.

Mbalula clarified that the breakdown of the current machine came before plans could be finalised to replace it – causing a backlog in the issuing of driver’s licence cards.

“Whilst we were doing away with that machine, it had an accident and the machine had to be taken away to be repaired in Germany. It is being fixed as we speak. We have already taken it to Germany but in the interim, we will introduce new measures on what will happen (sic).”

Furthermore, on social media, the Minister said an online payment service for motor vehicle licence renewal, driving licence card renewals, learner’s licence tests and driving licence tests are on the cards.

“The interface of live enrolment units with Home Affairs has been completed. This will enable the immediate validation of fingerprints and address. We are working with the HPCSA [Health Professions Council of South Africa]​ to enable optometrist to upload eye tests on our systems,” he said