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Alarm bells for driving licence renewals in South Africa

The Department of Transport has been advised that cancelling the smart card drivers’ licence tender could have dire consequences—with the current card printer on its last legs and a backlog in renewals growing since January. At the beginning of March 2025, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy initiated legal action to block the awarding of a contract for new printing driving licence printing machines following an investigation into the tendering process. Despite the investigation, City Press has reported that the Department of Transport’s lawyers have since advised against cancelling the tender. Advocate Adam Masombuka, the department’s chief director of legal service, said cancelling the R500 million smart card driver’s licence tender awarded to French company Idemia would have serious consequences. “It will lead to an interdict and a protracted review legal process that can take years, compared with appointing the preferred bidder.” The Auditor-General (AGSA) found that the tender was i...
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New petrol prices for July delayed

The Central Energy Fund has confirmed that the changes to fuel prices in South Africa have been delayed by a day, with the new pricing structure only approved in the past day.

This means the new pricing will only take effect from Thursday, 4 July, 2024, instead of Wednesday, 3 July.

The CEF media team confirmed that approvals for the release were only given on Wednesday.

This is a departure from the historic implementation date of the first Wednesday of a new month and reportedly reflects the delays in forming a new administration and getting new ministers in government.

Notably, president Cyril Ramaphosa only confirmed his new cabinet on Sunday, 30 June, and the cabinet was only sworn in on Wednesday, 3 July—the day the changes were supposed to take effect.

Further changes to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, which determines the price changes, is that is has now been split up into the Department of Electrcity and Energy, under minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and the Deparment of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, under Gwede Mantashe.

Despite the delay, South African motorists will at least get to enjoy lower fuel prices for the month, helped by solid market conditions in June.


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