South Africa’s vehicle registration system is facing growing scrutiny amid revelations that illegal number plates can be purchased with alarming ease, creating significant risks for motorists, law enforcement agencies and the broader public.
A recent investigation has exposed what industry experts and legislators describe as a serious weakness in the country’s number plate system, with illegal operators allegedly selling and producing number plates without requiring proof of vehicle ownership or registration documentation.
The findings have raised concerns about vehicle-related crime, the effectiveness of law enforcement investigations and the integrity of South Africa’s registration system.
According to a Business Day investigation, obtaining or cloning a number plate on South Africa’s black market can take as little as 20 minutes, depending on demand.
To test how easily motorists could obtain number plates from unauthorised operators, journalists visited three Johannesburg businesses — Lehang Graphic & Car Accessories, Green X Number Plates and Ken 24 Graphics.
The investigation found that customers were only required to write the desired registration details on a piece of paper to obtain a number plate. No proof of ownership, registration documents or vehicle verification was requested.
The apparent lack of controls has sparked fears that criminals could easily duplicate legitimate number plates, making it more difficult for police to trace vehicles involved in criminal activity.
When approached about allegations relating to the illegal trade of number plates and the possible unlawful possession of embossing equipment, Green X declined to comment. Ken 24 Graphics and Lehang Graphic & Car Accessories could not be reached for comment after visits were conducted as part of the news-gathering process.
The implications extend far beyond unfair business competition.
Number plate embossing machines and blank plates in unauthorised hands present a serious challenge to both law-abiding motorists and law enforcement agencies. Criminals seeking to avoid detection can use cloned or illegally produced plates to conceal the identities of vehicles used in crimes, potentially misleading investigators and complicating criminal investigations.
At the centre of the controversy are blank number plates and embossing machines manufactured by the country’s three authorised suppliers — Uniplate, New Number Plate Requisites (NNPR) and Unique Number Plates.
Questions are increasingly being asked about how these materials are finding their way into the illegal market.
Uniplate, a subsidiary of German vehicle identification and registration company Tönnjes Card International, acknowledged that the system contains weaknesses and said it does not always know how blank plates reach illegal embossers.
The company explained that legal embossers are required to undergo a strict vetting process before they can operate.
“Legal embossers have been through a thorough vetting process by SABS and are then registered both with SABS and the relevant department of transport,” the company said.
“The embossers have their own unique SABS number, which is affixed to the embossed plates by means of a sticker. Our sales team are required to sell blanks to embossers only after verifying their registration.
“We do not sell to unauthorised embossers and, in fact, report any such embossers to the [transport department] should we come across them. The system, though, is imperfect, and a legal embosser can sell blanks to third parties, as there is no control on such transactions.”
NNPR and Unique Number Plates did not respond to requests for comment.
Legal embossers operate under strict regulations. They must obtain and maintain South African Bureau of Standards certification, verify customer documentation, keep detailed transaction records and pay significant annual compliance fees.
However, industry representatives argue that compliant businesses are increasingly being undermined by illegal operators.
Jan de Lange, president of the Licence Plate Association of South Africa, believes the problem has reached alarming levels.
According to De Lange, the country’s three authorised manufacturers should be held accountable because legal embossers across South Africa are struggling to compete with a growing black market.
The association estimates that up to 40% of embossers currently operating may be doing so illegally.
“The unlawful trade in number plates, blank plates and embossing equipment has become one of the most significant threats facing compliant embossers and small businesses in the country.
“The problem extends beyond unfair competition. Illegal number plates can undermine vehicle identification systems, complicate lawenforcement investigations and create opportunities for vehicle-related crime,” he said.
“Greater attention should be given to those supplying blank plates and embossing equipment to unregistered operators.”
De Lange said his organisation has spent more than five years raising concerns about the illegal trade and warning authorities about weaknesses within the system. Despite repeatedly highlighting red flags, he says little progress has been made.
The matter has now attracted political attention.
Democratic Alliance MPs Toby Chance and Mlondi Mdluli have taken up the issue, calling for urgent intervention from government.
Chance, who serves as the party’s spokesperson on trade, industry and competition, urged Trade Minister Parks Tau, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to work together to address what he described as a serious threat.
“There is clearly little or no co-ordination between them or their departments to deal with price-fixing, the supply of embossing machines to illegal embossers, the use of illegal certification marks, and the manufacture of tens of thousands of illegal number plates,” Chance said.
He called for the establishment of a dedicated task team to coordinate enforcement efforts across national and provincial government departments.
“Tau, Creecy and Cachalia must urgently set up a ministerial task team to ensure co-ordinated action, including provincial authorities with responsibility for enforcement. The safety of all road users is at stake, as are all South Africans vulnerable to criminals escaping justice because they cannot be tracked or traced by law enforcement agencies or CCTV infrastructure.”
While the South African Police Service declined to comment in detail, police representatives indicated that the Department of Transport would be better positioned to address the concerns raised. The department did not respond to questions.
Meanwhile, scrutiny of the three authorised manufacturers is also intensifying from another direction.
The Competition Commission has found that Uniplate, NNPR and Unique Number Plates allegedly entered into an agreement and/or engaged in a concerted practice to fix prices and trading conditions relating to the supply of number plate blanks to embossers.
That matter is currently before the Competition Tribunal for prosecution.
As concerns continue to mount, industry stakeholders warn that unless stricter controls are introduced and enforcement strengthened, illegal number plates will remain a significant vulnerability in South Africa’s fight against vehicle-related crime and efforts to maintain an effective vehicle registration system.
