​The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport
has started with issuing of registration certificates to
embossers who have been legalised as
manufacturers of number plates and ensuring
compliance with existing regulations. The  first stregistration certificate was issued using the
National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) on the 12
February 2024 and by 14 February 2024 a total of 11
registration certificates were issued, and the process
is ongoing.
Regulation 48 of the National Road Traffic Act (NLTA)
stipulates that “no person shall manufacture or sell
number plates unless such person is registered as a
manufacturer of number plates in terms of these
regulations”. 
MEC for Transport and Logistics, Ms Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, in July 2023, officially launched the
registration process calling on all embossers of
numberplates operating in Gauteng to register with
the Department in line with the national act. The
registration open window was set from July until 30
September 2023. 
Referring to the registration process, the MEC
indicated the “registration process is a crucial
component in the Gauteng Provincial Government’s
plan to launch a secured new number plate system
to combat crime, corruption, vandalism, and
lawlessness in the province”. 
The Department has been in the process of
implementing the new, secure and tamper-proof
number plate system in line with the call by Premier
Panyaza Lesufi during his State-of-the-Province
address in February 2023. 
The Premier further
indicated that vehicles are a common denominator in
violent crimes, either as stolen or getaway vehicles.
In October 2022, the Premier pronounced that
certain areas of the Growing Gauteng Together
2030 (GGT2030) blueprint will be elevated for
implementation before the end of Sixth
Administration’s term. 
These, he indicated, included
strengthening the fight against crime, corruption,
vandalism and lawlessness.
Introducing security features is set to drastically
improve the credibility of number plates and to
enable license plate tracking within the value chain,
from manufacturer to end user (vehicle owner). 
Through this plan, the Provincial Government is
enabled to account for every vehicle registered and
this, it is expected, will bolster crime-fighting efforts,
enhance tracking by law-enforcement agencies, and
possibly serve as a deterrent.
It was further indicated that the security
enhancements will only be disclosed once finalized
by the number plate technical reference group and
legislative issues have been finalised. This is a group
comprising key stakeholders involved in the number
plate value chain, law enforcement agencies and
other stakeholders.