Zuko Komisa

The Gauteng Provincial Government launched a pilot programme for new ‘smart’ number plates today, Thursday, 5 June 2025, at the Nasrec Expo Centre.
These advanced plates aim to revolutionise crime fighting and enhance road management in the province.
The six-month pilot will initially see the new plates affixed to government vehicles managed by G-Fleet Management.
This launch follows a delay of over two months from its initial schedule, and two and a half years after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi first announced his vision for upgraded number plates.
#GPNewNumberPlates | The new number plates will assist with revenue collection, regulation of roadworthiness and insurance, provide data for planning and policymaking and encourage Gauteng based SMME’s, among others. #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/KkBoMEyw93
— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) June 5, 2025
A key innovation is the embedding of a scannable QR code that holds comprehensive vehicle registration information. A secure digital backend portal will allow law enforcement to instantly verify vehicle details, effectively combating cloned plates.
Further security enhancements include an anti-tamper decal positioned beneath the QR code, designed to “self-destruct” upon any attempt to modify the plate’s details.
Visually, the new plates will incorporate the South African flag and the ZA UN country code on the left, separated by a vertical line. The existing alphanumeric format for registration numbers will be retained, along with the current font.

Premier Lesufi had indicated that vehicles spending 30 consecutive days in Gauteng would need to be re-registered in the province.
With the retention of the current alphanumeric format, the necessity of a full re-registration, which could cost motorists over R1 000 including new plates and licence discs, remains unclear.
Currently, new vehicle registration in Gauteng costs R216, with licence discs starting from R408. The advanced features of the new plates are expected to increase their individual cost compared to the current R400-R500 per set.
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