The Department of Transport says that its ‘smart enrolment’ trial in certain testing centres this year proved to be a success, with the plans to roll out the system to the rest of the country in 2023.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said that the smart enrolment solution was successfully piloted at the Waterfall and Eco-Park Centurion Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs), and the system will go live in Gauteng in March 2023 before being fully deployed to other provinces.
The system was launched on trial basis to address the growing driving licence backlog in the country. Tests conducted by MyBroadband found that DLTCs where the system was being used had the best availability for licence renewals.
Motorists who need to book a licence or renewal do so on the eNatis website, where they select a preferred centre and timeslot. Once the booking is completed, they show up at the allotted time and complete the process.
The smart enrolment system assists with the capturing of details during the booking, integrating directly with Home Affairs, ensuring that the photos, fingerprints and other information is checked and captured in real-time.
This sidesteps the problem of having to show up and stand in long queues hoping to get services and waiting for lengthy data capture to take place. BusinessTech recently tested the renewal process at the Waterfall DLTC and managed to complete a licence renewal in 20 minutes.
WATCH: CEO of @TrafficRTMC Adv.Msibi explaining how the smart Enrollment unit works.
A new Innovation introduced. #DLCA @MbalulaFikile @GovernmentZA pic.twitter.com/OAhi7zuydn
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) September 2, 2022
Mbalula said that, to date, the department has managed to process and produce in excess of 2 million cards, dealing with the backlog.
“Not only have we been able to reduce the turn-around time for our card production to pre-Covid levels, we have now improved on those levels. We have successfully reduced the waiting period for a driving licence card from 58 working days in April 2022 to 10 working days in July 2022,” he said.
Despite this progress, he said that some 1.2 million motorists are still on the roads with expired licences.
“This goes against the grain of our efforts to arrest carnage on our roads. One of the biggest contributors to this carnage is driver competence. We will, therefore, up the ante in our law enforcement efforts in order to bring to book these wayward motorists who have no regard for the law or the safety of others on the road,” he said.
He said that three-quarters (67%) of those who have not renewed their driving licences are between the ages of 25 and 50 years; 15% between the ages of 50 and 60 years; 17% above 60.
The most compliant groups are those 25 years and younger, who account for only 1% of drivers who have yet to renew their driving licences, he said.
“Our investigations have revealed that the vast majority of those who are not renewing their licences have infringements,” he said.
New licences
In a statement on Thursday, Cabinet said the technology has since evolved, and it is becoming expensive to maintain the current infrastructure.
“The new proposed card will make the country’s driving licence compatible with the International Information Technology Personal Identification Compliant Driving Licence (ISO18013),” Cabinet said.
Mbalula said the department would publish the changes to the driver’s licence card in the government gazette, with a procurement process for the new production infrastructure beginning next month.
A pilot phase of the new card would begin on 1 November, running through to 31 March 2024.
“The current driver’s licence card and the equipment used to produce it will be decommissioned on April 1 2024,” Mbalula said. “However, there will be a five-year period of transition from the old card to the new one. The current cards will continue to be recognised as valid until March 31 2029.”
The transport minister has also said that his department is ready to look at amending the five-year validity period that currently applies to driver’s licence cards in South Africa.
Overview of Public Universities in South Africa
Here's an overview of some public universities in South Africa, including general admissions requirements and estimated application periods. Keep in mind, specific program requirements and dates can vary significantly, so it's important to check each university's official website for the most current information.
University of Pretoria
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with minimum scores in specific subjects related to the chosen program; for international students, equivalent qualifications.
- Application Period: Usually opens in March and closes at the end of July for most programs.
University of Cape Town
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with pass levels required for degree study; subject-specific requirements depending on the program.
- Application Period: Application opens in April and closes at the end of July.
Stellenbosch University
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with required marks; some programs have additional testing.
- Application Period: Opens in March and typically closes at the end of June.
University of the Witwatersrand
- Admissions Requirements: Matriculation certificate with university exemption; required scores vary by faculty.
- Application Period: Begins in March and ends on the 30th of September.
University of Johannesburg
- Admissions Requirements: Matric exemption with a minimum APS score; specific subject requirements based on the faculty.
- Application Period: Opens in April and generally closes by the 30th of September.
University of the Free State
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with specific marks for the program applied to; additional requirements for certain courses.
- Application Period: Typically opens in April and closes at the end of August.
University of Venda
- Admissions Requirements: Completion of the National Senior Certificate with an endorsement for diploma or degree studies; specific APS scores needed.
- Application Period: Usually from May to September.
University of Fort Hare
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with university exemption; certain programs may have specific requirements.
- Application Period: Opens around May and closes at the end of September.
University of the Western Cape
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with specific performance levels; additional requirements for certain programs.
- Application Period: Generally from May to September.
North-West University
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with university exemption; program-specific requirements may apply.
- Application Period: Opens in March and usually closes by the end of August.
Rhodes University
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate or equivalent; minimum academic performance in certain subjects.
- Application Period: Applications open in April and close at the end of September.
Nelson Mandela University
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with required scores for chosen programs; portfolio or additional tests for some faculties.
- Application Period: Opens in April, with a deadline at the end of August for most programs.
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with specific scores; additional requirements for certain courses.
- Application Period: Opens in May and typically closes by the end of September.
University of Limpopo
- Admissions Requirements: Senior Certificate with endorsement for diploma or degree courses; specific APS scores for different programs.
- Application Period: From April to September.
University of Zululand
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with an endorsement for bachelor’s degree studies; specific score requirements for various programs.
- Application Period: Usually between April and November.
Central University of Technology
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with specific scores for the chosen field of study; additional criteria for certain programs.
- Application Period: Application period generally starts in May and ends in October.
Vaal University of Technology
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with a pass that qualifies for admission to bachelor’s degree, diploma, or higher certificate programs.
- Application Period: Typically from May to September.
Walter Sisulu University
- Admissions Requirements: National Senior Certificate with required scores for chosen programs; additional criteria for certain faculties.
- Application Period: From April to September.
This list provides a starting point for understanding the admissions landscape across South Africa's diverse higher education institutions. Given the variability in programs and requirements, it's crucial to consult each university's website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
```