South Africa is not ready to switch to digital driving licenses yet. The main problem is that the country lacks the right digital systems to make it work.
Experts say the way government gives out contracts is also a big issue. They often pick companies based on political connections instead of skill.
Tech expert Arthur Goldstuck says digital licenses would help solve many problems but South Africa isn’t prepared. He points out that the country needs better digital access and security systems first.
Security is the most important part of digital licenses. They need good encryption and biometrics & must work without internet. But if the wrong companies get picked to build the system it will fail and waste money. The technology itself isn’t the problem.
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Countries like Estonia and Singapore already use digital licenses. But these places have better digital systems than South Africa does. The government’s tech agency SITA has corruption problems. Even getting new license card printing machines has been delayed because of contract issues. So while digital licenses would be useful South Africa needs to fix its basic systems first.
Digital driving licenses & services are not available to everyone in South Africa. Many people still don’t have smartphones or enough data to use these services. This is a big problem because driving is a basic right that everyone should have access to.
The government needs to keep physical options available while adding digital ones. This means the current problems with driving license cards will still exist. But the Department of Home Affairs is still pushing for more digital services like Smart IDs and passports.
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The Department recently started offering its services at more bank branches. They plan to add 100 new locations by year-end and 1000 more in the coming years. They’re also working to connect Home Affairs services with banking apps. SARS and the Reserve Bank want to create a complete digital ID system. This would include all official documents and payment options. The Reserve Bank really wants people to use PayShap instead of cash.
While South Africa could have digital ID cards that include driving licenses and passports the main problem is how to set up the system. The technology exists but it needs to be safe and everyone should be able to use it. The current tender system makes this hard to achieve.
