Final call for the remaining 19,000 KZN motorists to switch to new number plates

As the deadline for migrating to the new number plate system approaches, KwaZulu-Natal's Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma stressed the urgency for the remaining 19,018 motorists to make the switch by Sunday, November 30.

Missing the deadline could result in serious consequences, such as fines and other major penalties from regulatory authorities.

This comes after the department gave motorists a two-year grace period, first introduced in December 2023, to migrate to the new provincial system (two letters, two digits, and two letters followed by ZN; BB00BBZN).

The department reportedly started encouraging vehicle owners to transition voluntarily in March 2024, specifically those whose motor vehicle licence discs were due for renewal.

Under the National Road Traffic Act, old-style number plates will be deemed invalid starting from December 1.

According to Duma, there are currently 1,782,839 licensed vehicles in the province and 76,774 unlicensed vehicles, often due to owner neglect or because they are no longer in use but have not been deregistered.

“We are happy with how the people of KwaZulu-Natal have responded to our campaign for new number plates. We are 95% complete,” he said.

The MEC said around 60,000 number plates are registered per month, and to date, the total number of vehicles that have migrated to the new system is 1,687,047.

“There are 19,018 licensed motorists still to be migrated, and by law, we won't be granting any extension,” said Duma.

Duma warned that driving an unregistered vehicle can result in a fine, impoundment of the vehicle, and “repeated offences could lead to a criminal offence with a court hearing”.

The new numbering system for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was implemented, he reiterated, for two reasons: to address the shortage of available numbers in the province and to align with the national numbering system.

The new number plate system is replacing the former town-specific codes. These older codes, for example, include ND (Durban), NP (Pietermaritzburg), NPS (Port Shepstone), and NKR (Richards Bay).

Due to the limitation of a three-letter arrangement to five digits, Pinetown and Port Shepstone exhausted their number combinations first.

Pinetown motorists registering new vehicles were forced to use NU (Umhlatuzana, which includes Kloof, Hillcrest, New Germany, Pinetown, Mariannhill, and Wyebank), while Port Shepstone drivers migrated to NSC (South Coast towns).

Duma said the new number plates have assisted a great deal in terms of fighting car theft and hijackings.

“People were previously targeted because of number plates that identified where they came from,” said Duma, adding that the new number plates are also helpful in terms of fighting fraud associated with number plate duplication.

The MEC also urged motorists to inform interested parties of the number plate change after migration.

“Motorists are also advised to inform their car insurer of the change in licence number in the case of needing to make a claim, their bank if the vehicle is still being paid off, or if they have a petrol card, and their tracking company, if applicable,” he said.

Concerning personalised number plates, Duma said vehicle owners who purchased a specific licence number (SLN), for example, NP1234, were given a deadline of no later than October 15, 2025, to submit applications.

This would have enabled the office to process and approve all applications by the November 30 deadline.

“If a specific licence number that was purchased is not replaced with a personalised licence number by November 30, 2025, the specific licence number holder will forfeit the specific licence number without reimbursement,” he said.

Duma said all applications for personalised licence numbers submitted after October 15, 2025, will be at a cost of R2,250.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Wednesday, Duma alerted the public that the water and electricity supply had been disconnected at several key licensing and testing centres in the Durban region, including Rossburgh, Umdloti, and the Regional Office, among others.

The department claimed that it had settled its utility bills, but the disconnection was allegedly due to outstanding property rates, for which the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is responsible as the property manager/landlord.

The MEC has tasked the Acting Head of Department, Sma Ngubo, with engaging counterparts at DPWI and eThekwini Municipality to resolve the matter immediately, as the disruption threatens essential services such as licence renewals, new tests, and number plate conversions.

The statement noted that the Pinetown Licensing and Testing Centre was using a generator to provide back-up power.

When asked about the fairness of the deadline and whether it could still be enforced due to this issue, Duma said: “Diesel is being used in some centres as a backup power source. The work is proceeding. Unfortunately, the system cannot be adjusted as it was programmed years ago for November 30. The deadline is in line with the law.”

karen.singh@inl.co.za