By Zuko Komisa
- Cabinet has officially approved extending South African driving licence card validity from 5 to 10 years for light motor vehicles.
- Heavy, commercial, and professional transport vehicles will remain under their existing two-to-five-year renewal cycles.
- Motorists must continue renewing cards every five years until necessary legislative amendments are officially processed and gazetted.
South Africa’s Cabinet has formally approved an extension of driving licence card validity, doubling the renewal timeframe from 5 to 10 years for light motor vehicle owners (codes A, A1, B, and EB).
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni confirmed the decision during a post-Cabinet briefing, noting that the decision aims to streamline operations and relieve administrative congestion across licensing centres.
“The change aligns with international best-practice, enhances administrative efficiency, reduces the frequency of renewal for motorists, and eases demand pressure within the licensing system,” Ntshavheni said.
While light motor vehicles benefit from the 10-year term, heavy goods, commercial, and professional transport vehicles will retain their shorter renewal cycles of between two and five years.
The approval marks the resolution of years of policy shifts, successfully reaching Cabinet ahead of the Department of Transport’s initial target schedule.
Motorists should note that the 10-year extension is not yet active law.
Until the required legislative amendments are formally processed and gazetted, drivers must strictly adhere to the current five-year renewal cycle to avoid driving with expired cards.
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