Vehicle registration plates of South Africa
For instance, the plates display combinations like AB 12 CD GP or CA 123-456, with distinct variations in layout and formatting across different regions of the country.
Until 1914, each municipality or local management board issued its own registration numbers, which naturally led to overlaps and confusion.
The Department of Transport in South Africa has set aside R25 million for the project during the 2015/2016 fiscal year.
The Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal has set aside R1.5 million for vehicle registration plates for the province.
Number plates can be made over the counter at registration/licensing stores in shopping centres, although the vehicle registration document may be required.
[7] Vehicle owners can buy specific personalised registration numbers from registering authorities.
i.e. the pre-1980 system has largely been retained in these areas, so the first two or three letters at the start of each number plate identify where the vehicle was licensed.
The old town specific numbering system is being phased out over 21 months period beginning 1 March 2024.
The Free State is the only province in South Africa that places an expiry date on its registration plate.
[12] This is only enforced in the Free State and if the owner uses the vehicle with "expired" plates in any other province he/she will not be prosecuted.
A temporary permit must be obtained from the registering authority to drive the vehicle to the testing station or repair shop.
When a person buys a vehicle from a dealer in another province or town other than the one they live in, a temporary permit valid for three weeks is issued by the registration authorities.
The temporary permit is a cardboard "number plate" to be displayed in either the front or rear window of the vehicle.
This is a process where about 10,000 micro dots with a serial number on is sprayed with a resin onto all components of the vehicle.
This is to assist the authorities in identifying a vehicle or any part thereof when VIN and engine numbers are not legible, or have been removed.
The downside of this is that it might cause many poorer South Africans not to register vehicles in their name or to let licences lapse and just pay the fine when getting caught.
It is illegal in South Africa to alter or tamper with a vehicle's VIN or the factory stamped number on an engine in any way.
[16][14] For example: CC 147 Each town had a unique registration prefix followed by a number that was allocated sequentially from 1 (the mayor's vehicle) onward to 999 999.
For trade plates (used by car dealers on un-licensed vehicles), the letters and numbers were swapped.
For example: GG 4321 Military vehicles used the letter U (for Union Defence Force) as a prefix until 1961, when U was replaced by R (for Republic of South Africa), followed by a sequential number.
For example: SAP 4321 However, many police vehicles were registered locally and carried the registrations used in the four provinces.
CA represented the largest city, Cape Town, CB the second-largest, Port Elizabeth, CC was Kimberley, CD King William's Town, CE East London, CF Grahamstown, CG Oudtshoorn, CH Queenstown, CI Worcester, CJ Paarl, CK Malmesbury and CL Stellenbosch.
So the system was revised, eliminating the o codes, and extra two-letter codes were allocated: CM De Aar, CN Wellington, CO Calitzdorp, CR Hopefield, CS Bredasdorp, CT Ceres, CU Port Nolloth, CV Vredendal, CW Worcester, CX Knysna, CY Bellville and CZ Beaufort West.
From this point onward, a Transvaal vehicle's origin could no longer be narrowed down to a specific town or city.
Due to public demand at this time, different text colour on white background was also allowed.
The colony of Zululand lay to the north of the Tugela River (today Thukela) and was annexed to Natal in 1887.
KwaZulu was created to encompass the tribal territories of both Natal and Zululand, and also fell under the Paramount Chief (today the King) of the amaZulu.
