South Africa’s driving licence cards may be getting a new lease on life.
According to Mybroadband, this is thanks to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department’s (JMPD) launch of a cutting-edge handheld traffic enforcement system.
Unveiled by City of Johannesburg public safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku on Friday, 8 August 2025, the device gives officers instant access to driver and vehicle records, even during load-shedding or without network coverage.
New JMPD tech to give South Africa’s driving licence cards a digital boost
The setup includes modified smartphones with portable printers, able to verify driver’s licence card details, flag stolen vehicles, detect fraudulent cards, and pull traffic violation histories from the Electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis).
Accident reports can also be captured in under five minutes, streamlining roadside operations.
From images at the launch, the device in use appears to be Honeywell’s ScanPal EDA52, an enterprise-grade mobile computer with secure connectivity and a barcode scanning engine that quickly reads the information on driving licence cards and discs.
Professional driving expert Rob Handfield-Jones says the system shows how much more useful and relevant licence cards can become when paired with the right digital tools.
“This proves that physical cards can work hand-in-hand with technology to make law enforcement faster, more accurate, and more reliable,” he said, as per Mybroadband.
By combining physical cards with advanced mobile verification, traffic officers can confirm authenticity on the spot, ensuring only valid, legal drivers are on the road.
For motorists, it means faster roadside checks, less waiting, and greater confidence that their official licence card remains a powerful, recognised form of identification on the road.
What are your thoughts on this new device?
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