Traffic in Mthatha is run by the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality under its Public Safety department, and it operates from two different addresses. Licences and tests are at one; vehicle registration and discs are at the other. Going to the wrong one is the most common wasted trip here.
The two addresses
- Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) — Buttercup Road, Ngangelizwe Township, Mthatha, 5099. Learner’s and driving licence tests, licence renewals, PrDPs, and where application forms are obtained. KSD lists 047 501 4000 and 065 832 6217 against it.
- Motor Vehicle Registration Authority (MVRA) — No. 46 Elliot Road, Central, Mthatha, 5099, on 047 495 1215. Vehicle registration, licence disc renewal and change of ownership.
A third number printed next to the DLTC address on the municipal site runs to only nine digits and cannot be dialled as published, so it is not repeated here. Use the two above.
Municipal numbers
- Call centre: 047 495 1037
- Switchboard: 047 495 1124
- Email: [email protected]
- Fraud and corruption, toll free: 0800 222 828
That last one matters at a licensing centre. Payment of a fee to jump a queue or pass a test is exactly what the line exists for, and it is toll free.
Learner’s licence: what to bring
- ID book or card, traffic register number or temporary ID.
- Two identical black-and-white photographs.
- Proof of residential address.
- A booking fee of R213, then R69 to issue the licence when you pass.
- On the exam day: your ID and copies, the booking receipt, and a pen, pencil and eraser.
Driving licence: what to bring
- Your learner’s licence and a copy, your ID and copies, and proof of residential address.
- Your own roadworthy vehicle on the day of testing. The centre does not supply one.
- R294 for Code B and EB, or R345 for Code C1, C, EC1 and EC.
- R216 to issue the card once you pass.
Renewals, temporary licences and PrDPs
- Renewal: ID and copies, original licence and a copy, two ID photos, proof of address, R216.
- Temporary licence: R96, valid six months or until the card is issued. Issued after you pass, or when the card is expired, lost or stolen.
- Duplicate learner’s licence: R180.
- Professional Driving Permit: R324, plus a medical certificate form and R110 for fingerprints paid at the bank.
These are the fees the municipality publishes. Licence fees are set nationally and revised, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the day.
Change of ownership
The seller carries the duty to notify, not the buyer. The seller goes to the registration authority for the form and completes it with the buyer, bringing certified copies of both parties’ IDs and of the registration certificate, plus the NCO form. The buyer brings their ID or a certified copy, the original certificate for the vehicle, proof of residence and completes an RLV form. A seller who never notifies stays liable for the vehicle, so do this rather than trusting a handshake.
Other things Public Safety covers
The same department runs law enforcement, roadworthy testing, fire and rescue, and disaster management for the area. An emergency is not a call-centre matter, and roadworthy testing for a certificate of fitness is booked separately from a driving test.