• The Department of Transport has revealed a clearer picture of what the incoming license plates will look like for Gauteng.
• The plates will include a scannable QR code and a tamper-proof decal to combat fraudulent crime car plates.
• Gauteng plans a general rollout of the new plates by the end of 2025.

Gauteng has run out of new vehicle number plates, but that’s okay as it aims to implement a new technology-enabled number plate system that the government hopes will combat crime.

According to a new government bulletin from Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, number plates received for Gauteng will have two distinct features that will hopefully decrease the prevalence of fake number plates and other identifiers used in the province.

The new number plates in Gauteng

The department has finally revealed what the new license plates will look like after working on them and drafting various layouts for a year.

The new plates are designed to be tamper-proof, with new features including a QR code and a special decal that will “self-destruct” when an attempt is made to remove it. The Gauteng provincial government says the new plate designs will “prevent cloning, enhance safety and establish accountability for manufacturers and retailers in the value chain”.

“The operability of the current South African number plate is prone to abuse by unregistered number plate manufacturers. The system in its current form is also being taken advantage of by criminals who clone vehicles and commit other forms of crime,” the department said earlier this year.

Scanning the QR code will link to an online database of vehicle information as well as include the manufacturer’s mark so the plates can be traced back to where they were manufactured.

The self-destructing sticker is SANS 1116 compliant, which means it will comply with all the normal number 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 at the top left of the plate, a black dividing line between the decal, QR code and “ZA” insignia, the word “Gauteng” at the top center of the plate, and the provincial coat of arms. arms inscribed between the final number and the signifier “GP”.

Motorists have been reminded to start applying for new plates from April this year. The provincial government is targeting late 2025 for a general rollout, according to TopAutociting local officials.

These plates will then be in circulation until at least 2038, when the numerical codes are expected to run out and new plates will need to be made. That gives about 13 years for the provincial government to settle on a new design.

Additionally, the new 2025 design is expected to be rolled out to all provinces in the near future, with the obvious exception being the Gauteng differentiators which will be replaced with local provincial ones.