South African Court Sets Aside Driving Licence Card Tender, Orders Re-Advertisement Within 30 Days

Reacting to the ruling, Minister Creecy said the outcome vindicates the department’s commitment to transparency and lawful procurement.

The Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have welcomed a High Court declaratory order setting aside the appointment of IDEMIA as the preferred bidder for South Africa’s driving licence card machine tender.

On Tuesday, the Gauteng North High Court ruled that the tender process was irregular, invalid, unlawful, and unenforceable, and consequently ordered that the tender be set aside. The court further directed the Department of Transport to re-advertise the tender within 30 days.

Court Action Followed Auditor-General Findings

The court’s decision follows an application brought by the Department of Transport itself, after the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) identified serious irregularities in the tender process.

Reacting to the ruling, Minister Creecy said the outcome vindicates the department’s commitment to transparency and lawful procurement.

“The decision to approach the court for guidance was a necessary step to ensure the integrity, transparency, and legitimacy of the tender process,” the Minister said.

Interim Measures to Ensure Continuity of Licence Issuance

Pending the appointment of a new service provider through the re-advertised tender, the court has authorised the department to outsource the printing and issuing of driving licence cards to the Department of Home Affairs to prevent service disruptions.

The department said this interim arrangement will ensure continuity while a lawful procurement process is concluded.

Licence Card Backlog Cleared After Printing Disruptions

The Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) confirmed that it had cleared the national backlog of driving licence cards following a breakdown of the card printing machine between February and May 2025.

As of 9 December 2025, the backlog had been fully resolved. Between 8 May and 8 December 2025, a total of 2,239,456 driving licence cards were successfully printed.

Progress on New Driving Licence Card Design

In a parallel development, the State Security Agency has approved the prototype design of the new driving licence card, developed by the Government Printing Works (GPW).

The department confirmed that the network connection between the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and GPW has been successfully tested, enabling secure transfer of data required for card production.

“A Cabinet process will soon be undertaken to seek approval of the prototype driving licence card design,” the department said.

Next Steps

The Department of Transport said it will comply fully with the court order and proceed with the re-advertisement of the tender, while advancing reforms to modernise South Africa’s driving licence card system in a secure, transparent, and legally compliant manner.