SOUTH AFRICA GAUTENG TACKLES CAR CRIME WITH DIGITAL NUMBER PLATE REVOLUTION

The initiative will first be tested in a six-month pilot phase before being rolled out across the province.

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Gauteng Introduce Number Plate System to Outsmart Criminals
Gauteng Introduce Number Plate System to Outsmart Criminals


South Africa’s Gauteng has introduced a cutting-edge number plate system designed to outsmart criminals and restore public confidence in road safety.

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has unveiled an advanced, tamper-proof number plate system as part of the province’s aggressive crackdown on vehicle-related crime. The initiative, powered by digital tracking, forensic QR codes, and anti-fraud features, aims to render cloned and fraudulent number plates obsolete.

“With the help of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, we are now deploying a digital system that ensures we can account for every vehicle on our public roads,” said Lesufi. 

The intelligent plates will include embedded forensic QR codes, tamper-evident decals, and a fully digital vehicle-tracking portal, enabling real-time monitoring and verification. This comes in response to a surge in crimes like carjackings and the widespread use of fake or duplicate plates by criminals to evade law enforcement.

Vehicle cloning has long plagued authorities, making it difficult to track suspects or prosecute offenders. Lesufi said the new system will close that loophole: “Those who are using fraudulent or duplicate number plates will have no space or time to drive on our roads.” 

The initiative will first be tested in a six-month pilot phase before being rolled out across the province. It is part of Gauteng’s broader Provincial Integrated Crime Prevention Strategy, which also targets taxi violence, promotes responsible road use, and modernises traffic enforcement.

Authorities hope the high-tech plates will not only deter criminals but also streamline vehicle identification in accident investigations, reduce insurance fraud, and support more efficient traffic policing.

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