In a significant development for millions of South African motorists, the Gauteng North High Court has declared unlawful and set aside a nearly R900 million tender awarded to French technology company Idemia for new driving licence card printing machines.
The ruling, handed down on 6 January 2026, found the tender process irregular, invalid, and unenforceable. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and the Department of Transport welcomed the decision, stating it paves the way for a fresh procurement process. The court has ordered the department to re-advertise the tender within 30 days.
The controversy stems from years of reliance on a single, ageing printing machine – over 25 years old – which suffered frequent breakdowns, culminating in a major failure from February to May 2025. This outage halted production entirely, leading to a massive backlog that peaked at around 750,000–800,000 unprinted cards. Motorists faced months-long delays, with many driving on expired licences or temporary permits.
However, the department announced that the backlog was fully cleared by 9 December 2025, with normal production resuming on the repaired old machine in the interim.
As a bridge solution pending the new tender, the court has permitted the outsourcing of card printing to the Government Printing Works (GPW), which already handles passports and identity documents. Secure data transfer systems between the Road Traffic Management Corporation and GPW are now in place, and a new prototype card design has received approval. Mass production via GPW is expected to begin soon.
Looking ahead, the Department of Transport is advancing plans to extend the validity of driving licence cards from the current five years to eight years. Officials have confirmed the decision is “definitely” moving forward, following cost-benefit analyses, to reduce renewal frequency and prevent future backlogs.
The saga has exposed longstanding issues in infrastructure maintenance and procurement within the transport sector, frustrating drivers nationwide. With the backlog resolved, interim printing arrangements approved, and reforms on the horizon, authorities say this marks a turning point towards more reliable service delivery.
