South African Car Number Plates Now

Black on white; town-specific (e.g., for Cape Town, CY for Bellville). KwaZulu-Natal ZN AA 11 AA ZN Blue on white; includes the provincial coat of arms. Free State FS AAA 111 FS

Profane or offensive combinations are strictly prohibited. The Move to "Smart" Plates

South Africa’s number plate system does its basic job – clearly showing registration and province – but lacks modern anti-fraud features (no QR code, RFID, or central printing). Personalised plates add flair, but widespread non-compliance and easy forgery remain problems. An overhaul to a more secure, centralised system (like UK or EU style) has been discussed for years but never implemented. south african car number plates

The last two letters indicate the (previously “Zuid-Afrika” pre-1994, now each province has a unique code):

Each province is identified by a suffix at the end of the plate. Standard Format Unique Features AA 11 AA GP Blue text on white; features the provincial coat of arms. Western Cape WP Town Prefix Black on white; town-specific (e

Feature an M suffix (e.g., AAA 111 M) on a yellow background.

: New generations of plates, particularly in Gauteng , now include a QR barcode , the South African flag, and the "ZA" country code. The Move to "Smart" Plates South Africa’s number

Identified by red or green text on white backgrounds. Personalized Plates