Gauteng’s new technical plates: all differences explained

• The Department of Transport has revealed a clearer picture of what plates arriving in Gauteng will look like.
• The plates will include a scannable QR code and a tamper-proof sticker to eliminate fake license plates for criminal cars.
• Gauteng plans a general rollout of the new number plates by the end of 2025.

Gauteng has run out of new numbers for vehicle license plates, but that’s OK because the government is trying to implement a new technology-enabled number plate system that it hopes will prevent crime.

According to a new government gazette published by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, vehicle number plates coming to Gauteng will have two different features that we hope will reduce the prevalence of fake number plates and other identifiers used in the province.

New Gauteng plates

The ministry has finally announced what the new license plates will look like after working on them and preparing different models for a year.

The new plates are designed to be tamper-proof with new features such as a QR code and a special sticker that will “self-destruct” if attempted to be removed. The Gauteng Provincial Government said the new plate designs would “prevent cloning, improve security and ensure accountability for manufacturers and retailers in the value chain”.

“The operability of the current number plate in South Africa is open to abuse by unregistered plate manufacturers. Equally, the system in its current form is also abused by criminals who clone vehicles and commit other types of crimes,” the ministry said earlier this year.

Scanning the QR code will not only link to an online database of vehicle information, but will also include the manufacturer’s marking, allowing the license plates to be traced to where they were made.

Self-destructing tag is SANS 1116 compliant; This means it will follow all the normal plate rules, such as positioning, what material the plate is made of, and how legible what is written on it must be.

Other differences include the South African flag in the top left corner of the plate, the black dividing line between the sticker, the QR code and the “ZA” emblem, the word “Gauteng” in the top center of the plate, and the state coat of arms. hands engraved between the last number and the ‘GP’ indicator.

Drivers are reminded to start applying for new license plates starting from April this year. State government targets end of 2025 for general availability TopAutoreferring to local authorities.

These plates will then be in circulation until at least 2038, when number codes are expected to run out and new plates will need to be made. This gives the state government about 13 years to create a new design.

Additionally, the new 2025 design is expected to be available in all provinces in the near future; The obvious exception to this is that Gauteng differentiators will be replaced by local provinces.