Joburg's driver's license renewal is so efficient, why can't the rest of the city be like this?

Poorly lit streets, frequent power outages, water supply and massive potholes are a typical Joburg story these days. At every corner, every third person moans about the state of Johannesburg. Yet, compared to its public sector peers, the city’s licensing departments across the 'City of Gold' appear to be well run and a sign of the Joburg we actually deserve as residents. 

It then begs the question: why can’t this efficiency be replicated around the city and its institutions - the likes of City Power, Joburg Roads Agency, Joburg Water, and other public-owned entities.  

On Monday, I had to renew my drivers license. I anticipated I could be shuffling across the benches at the Randburg Licensing Department, so I came prepared with a small snack box -  buttered crackers, diced chicken viennas, an apple, a bottle of sparkling water - and headed to the Randburg CBD.

On Sunday night, I confirmed my booking on the eNATIS website and to my disbelief there was a slot for 11am or so. Fantastic I thought.

My luck was in, and so it persisted on Monday during the drivers licence renewal, I was in and out of Randburg in no more than 15-20 minutes. 

In fact, the only delay I incurred were self-inflicted, I forgot my black pen in my car and had to trek back for some 2-3 minutes. 

Upon arrival the staff issued me with a form to fill in, which I scribbled quickly and headed back to them.

They then confirmed my name on their list, ticked me off on their list, which must have been five or six pages long. They then checked my documentation, ensured I had a printed copy of my ID and the original ID book in my possession and off I went upstairs, where the magic happens, quickly and efficiently. 

Once upstairs; the process was seamless. A uniformed Joburg Metro staffer who resembled Wesley Snipes - I kid you not - directed me to an official who was colourful and cheery, despite the freezing temperatures of Monday. He was so jovial he remarked about my snack box. 

I offered the cheerful official a cracker and he accepted, crunching into it straight away. 

“Uyawuzwa umnandi kanjani uRich (loosely can you taste how wholesome that is),” I joked with him. He nodded in approval and laughed.

We had a nice chat with the official, with me mainly remarking that I was so surprised by the efficiency and that I had expected to spend a couple of hours at the place, hence the snackbox. 

The official told me that the new online booking system has been worked like a charm in reducing queues, while allowing them to service more people. 

A quick picture, a signature and my thumbs on a biometric machine scanner and all was done. The final step left was to pay and then leave. 

As I was standing in the two man queue to make my payment at the cashier before leaving, I indulged in some diced smokey viennas. For some reason, there was a toothpick in my little snack box, so I figured I'd use the thing as a fork.

At this point a Joburg Metro official resembling musician Mara Louw walked past and witnessed me eating. 

“You’ve made it in life neh,” she chirped. 

I laughed gently, but in hindsight, my response should have been: “No Mini Mara Louw, you have, look at you with the Nandos quarter chicken in your hands”. 

I digress. With the City of Johannesburg seemingly crippling around us, it was a lovely experience to experience what our city should feel like across the board. 

If the city was run like the licensing department, there would be no Joburg In Decay series of stories as the IOL team did this past weekend. 

Joburg can work, it is time for the city’s leadership to put the residents first and to put the right people in the right positions, regardless of the complications of multiparty coalition politics.

But it is not all perfect, in March, Action SA raised concerns about the state of the place in a media statement. 

“The current conditions that the JMPD and Licensing Department are enduring at the Randburg Civic Centre are utterly deplorable. What was once a functional council chamber and radio room for the city in Region B has now deteriorated into one of the worst council-owned buildings we have seen during our oversight visits across the regions,” warned Sarah Wissler and Marcel Courtiers, the party’s respective Joburg chairperson and Whip of Public Safety Committee.

They continued: “The top two floors of the building have been completely stripped of essential infrastructure – cables, air conditioning units, and plumbing are missing. Water leaks persist due to the theft of taps and other fittings, leaving broken toilets and sinks.

“Windows are shattered, and unchecked tree growth from the outside is creeping into office spaces. The former council chamber has been stripped down, leaving only a few new chairs, with all lighting removed.

“The kitchen that once provided meals for councillors is in complete disrepair, with water streaming down the walls, further exacerbating the extensive water damage visible throughout the premises,” they said.

Yet in this perilous environment, to their credit, officials are going on with it, with warmth.

What others say

And I am not the only one waxing lyrical about the licensing department.

“I was pleasantly surprised. The service was great. The staff was efficient and very friendly. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I forgot to bring a copy of my ID and paid a guy in the parking lot to get that done and even that was quick and reliable. 

“People think Joburg is a scary place but if you go to such a government establishment where things go smoothly and people are lovely, reliable and competent, you actually experience the true spirit of the city and what the government is capable,” said Ellen Solomon on the Randburg Licensing Department’s Google page in a one week old review. 

For the record, the department has an average score of ⅗ stars from 1,845 reviews, which is excellent in government standards, right?

“I booked to renew my driver's license on the NaTIS website at Randburg Renewal DLTC-Civic. I arrived for my 09:30 appointment at 08:30, and the entire process only took 30 minutes. 

“Everyone was friendly and helpful, from the security guards to the lady who did my fingerprints. Very pleasant experience, I have no complaints,” said Sarah Goodbrand a month ago.

“I arrived just after 7 for my license renewal app at 8:10. The service was amazing and quick. Staff was amazing - from the guy who handed us the forms, the gentleman at the eye testing office and the lady who processed the payment. Super efficient, I walked out at 8:42 🙂.

Note : Be prepared : set up an appointment, read the list of required documents to bring along and be kind🌻,” said a Nthangeni.

“The service received was excellent and staff were very efficient. Arrived at 8:20 prepared to spend two hours+ but i was finished within 20 min. Big ups to the Centre,” remarked Tshepang Ramphisa two months ago. 

And on behalf of the one star ratings, an angry M G said: ”Total corruption!! Arrived at 2:15pm on Tuesday 7 January 2025 but wasn’t allowed in by security! Due to so called “overcrowding”!

It was empty! A few people inside!

“So I stood at the door. Many people were let in, but not me and another white lady. People I saw in the car park offering to jump the queue were getting in!!!

“This is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!!!”

Ok one more one star rating. 

“I walked in to Randburg this morning to I check whether I could renew my Lisence without an appointment. Security said they do not take walk ins. However the guy standing next to her offered to help me jump the queue to get it done. He was already helping someone else in this way and told me to wait. I decided not to as I did not want to be part of what felt dodgy,” remarked a Mandy Davidson four months ago. 

* Sihle Mlambo is a content manager at IOL.