How to get a South African drivers licence - ex pats

If you have read previous entries to this blog, you might have read how I battled for several weeks to get a South African drivers licence sorted out for myself. A seemingly easy process, which was so mired and fraught with red tape, that at one point I considered that returning to the UK would be easier.

However, after a struggle, I managed to find the correct methodology for this process, and am now awaiting delivery of my new South African credit card style drivers licence. That being the case, I wanted to share the methodology with others who might find themselves in a similar, unfortunate position. Perhaps you will have less trouble than I did.

First things first – the credit card style licence became compulsory on 30th April 2003. If, like me, you left South Africa PRIOR to this date, but had not converted your ID book licence, then you are in the same position I was in, and this is for you.

Before you can even APPLY for your credit card licence in South Africa, you need the Department of Public Works in Johannesburg to change your licence details on the computer system. This will allow the Traffic Department to make the appropriate application.

In order for the computer system to be changed, the following items must be submitted to the Department of Public Works:
* Certified copy of your ID book
* Certified copy of your drivers licence in your ID book
* Certified copy of your passport, clearly showing the departure stamp when you originally left South Africa
* Certified copy of a letter from your overseas employer stating that you were employed by them on the 30th April 2003.
* Supporting letter from yourself, motivating why you are now applying for the credit card licence.

Once the computer system is changed, THEN you can go to the Traffic Department in your area and apply for your new licence.

Just take a pair of scissors to slice through the red tape!

Driver's licence saga - RESOLUTION

I finally have it!

Having fought with seemingly every government department in Gauteng Province, and beaten my head on just about every bureaucratic wall to be seen – and some even unseen – I have my temporary drivers licence in my grubby little mitt!!!

And to top that, my credit card style drivers licence will be available for collection in the mythical “6 to 8 weeks”.

This little piece of information makes no difference to me being able to drive in South Africa – but it does mean that my car finance has finally been fully completed and that I can now buy the car I have been wanting…

The process has been long and painful and frustrating, but somewhere hidden in the miles of red tape, there is a process to follow… I will give full detail of the requirements and the process, as to be honest, I have not been able to find a decent set of instructions for this myself – so I may as well make one up and share it with everyone.

But that will have to wait for another day.

Right now I am busy dancing on the ceiling, temporary driver licence in hand…

Drivers licence irony

If you have been following recent posts to this blog, you will be aware that I am having a huge bureaucratic problem trying to finalise financing for a new car, all centred around a South African drivers licence.

In summary, it appears that credit legislation requires me to have a valid South African drivers licence, in the correct credit card format, before any financing can be approved.

You can imagine then how my heart leapt into my throat this morning, when a traffic officer pulled me off the road in a routine check and asked me for my drivers licence. I greeted him politely and casually gave him my UK drivers licence, which I have been using for the last 6 years in England, and last 6 weeks in South Africa. Having checked it over, and checked that I had a valid tax disk on my car, the officer returned my licence and allowed me on my way without further query…

Strange, I thought, how I can drive a vehicle – a large hunk of metal capable of killing and maiming, with my UK drivers licence – but without a South African drivers licence, I cannot purchase one.

I am not sure that the alternatives I am thinking of are printable here….

How to drive in Jozi

There is an old phrase that goes: “Only in South Africa…” and usually it precedes some absolutely preposterous story involving a sequence of events that would be far too unrealistic to ever appear true. However, as the phrase says, only in South Africa could these events actually take place.

It has come to my attention that the rules of driving are slightly different in Johannesburg than to anywhere else around the world. What follows is based on some personal experiences from commutes around JHB in the past week. As I said at the start – only in South Africa:

Condition of motor vehicle.
Overall vehicle condition is not considered. If you car can move forward in some way, then it is allowed on the road. Seemingly engine power is not the only means of propulsion – pushing your vehicle will also count. I have seen a few taxis being pushed by their passengers along the road. Well – the petrol price is rising, and cut backs MUST be made!!!!

Vehicle Lights – naturally, there are two parts to this – back lights and front lights.
Back lights: these are completely optional. Vehicles do not have to make themselves known to other users of the road via back lights – rather the onus is on other users of the road to see these invisible black vehicles in the dark.

Front lights: these are governed by a simple rule “The more the better” This has two major advantages. Firstly it helps you find the vehicles you have not taken back lights as an optional extra. (See item above) Second, it is a form of social status – the more lights you have the better your social standing in the community.

Overall: cars are governed by an “average” rule. Provided the AVERAGE number of working lights across both back and front of the car is about right, you will be fine.


Road markings
Apparently these are irrelevant. Seemingly some kind of massive nationwide painting experiment to test the endurance of some paints.
Thus no clear adherence is applied to any indication, information or rule that these painted road markings might be trying to convey. Fortunately, some paints are better at enduring the experiment than others it appears.

Driving on the left hand side
This is such a British way of drive, and so constrictive.
Fortunately I found two enterprising taxi drivers the other day who were sharp enough to notice that the far side pavement was open, whereas the left hand side of the road they were driving on was congested. Thus they made use of this open pavement – just GENIUS use of available land!!!!

Traffic lights
Johannesburg traffic lights have the usual three colours, but they appear to convey a slightly different message than I have been used to in the UK.
GREEN: Proceed at own pace. (Note – watch out for FROGGER players – see below)
AMBER: Proceed making use of accelerator and hooter to raise your profile to other road users.
RED: - this appears to be FROGGER mode. Whilst red would usually require vehicles to come to a stand still, FROGGER mode allows a vehicle to inch its way across a road, while avoiding traffic moving at perpendicular angle to the direction being travelled – much like the traditional computer game of the same name.

Caught in Red Tape

You just knew that things were going FAR too well....

I have finally been caught up in bureaucratic red tape.
It would appear that the application for finance for my new car with one bank has been rejected, because I have a UK driving licence, and not a South African driving licence.

This is odd, as I have held a driving licence for half my life, and only held a UK licence for the last 6 years. To my mind I can drive crap using any country;s driving licence...

Apparently though in order for this particular application to be considered, I need to be in the process of applying for a driving licence. A process which requires me to jump through hoops backwards - and blind folded.... Oh yes - I am terribly happy about the situation...

It would seem however that this is just one application with one bank, and apparently another bank may not take such a dim view of me and my foreign driving licence. (I should add that the UK and South Africa drive on the same side of the road... South Africans just tend to use the hard shoulder for over taking purposes)

So it's "watch this space" I guess.

I wonder what licence I need to buy a horse?