Western Cape and Kwazulu-Natal have the ugliest number plates in  South Africa followed by Free State.  Did you know After 1994, the Western Cape Province and KwaZulu-Natal Province are the sole 2 provinces wherever the registration are often still linked to specific towns and cities? i.e. the pre-1980 system has for the most part been preserved in these areas, therefore the 1st 2 or 3 letters at the beginning of every number plate identify wherever the vehicle was licenced

South African range plates are distinctive in every of the provinces. Every province has their own number plate style and colours, also as numbering theme.


Material, shapes and convenience and registration

Number plates are offered in plastic or metal. Plastic is that the most popular material used by the majority of the motorists. And additionally a lot of ordinary than their metal counterpart and are issued as standard plates by car dealerships, except in Gauteng Province wherever, from 2013, freshly released plates should be metal.

The most common size is just like the European number plates' size (110 mm × 520 mm (4.3 in × 20.5 in)). However, a shorter plate is additionally universal (120 mm × 440 mm (4.7 in × 17.3 in)). Most automotive dealerships currently issue the previous. Different shapes like American and bike sizes are available. Number plates have often revamped the counter at registration/licensing stores in shopping centres, though the vehicle registration document is also needed.

From one February 2000, a process began to replace all number plates in South Africa to an aluminium number plate with an RFID tag containing a distinctive identification code, as well as the flexibility to spot the amount plate during a foreign nation. this is often termed an Intelligent range Plate system. The system has been enforced for extra and specific use. The numbering structure on plates will then change. regarding the foreign identification system inside SouthAfricaa, foreigners are granted the permission to verify their number plate to the South African range plate system. 

The Department of Roads and Transport in South africa has put aside R25 million for the project throughout the 2015/2016 yr. The Department of Transport in Kwa-Zulu Natal has put aside R1.5 million for vehicle registration plates for the province. A secure electronic mark will be utilized in the encryption of the code.

The system will automatically generate the details of driving offences committed by a driver.

As of July 2016, new vehicles are but still being fitted with plastic plates, and therefore the system has yet not been implemented.

New legislation additionally needs that a brand new vehicle's number plate be fixed to the body of the car with four 4mm rivets.