In early 2024, South Africa’s only old driver’s licence card printer finally broke down after 25 years, causing a huge backlog of 750,000 licences and throwing daily life into chaos. People struggled with expired cards, risking fines and job losses, while staff worked long hours to fix the problem. This crisis revealed how risky it is to rely on outdated technology and sparked calls for modern upgrades, like longer licence validity and digital solutions. Despite the challenges, the country showed great resilience and a strong will to improve the system for the future.
