Temporary Licences & Permits in South Africa

A temporary driving licence keeps you legal on the road while you wait for your new or renewed card. It is issued at the Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) when you apply for a card renewal or replacement, and is valid for six months.

Selling alcohol at a once-off event — a festival, wedding venue hire, market or fundraiser — requires a temporary or special event liquor licence issued under the provincial liquor act. Selling without one is a criminal offence, even at a private function where guests pay.

A visitor's visa (or the 90-day visa-exempt entry many nationalities receive) can be extended inside South Africa through VFS Global — normally once, for up to a further 90 days — under the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. You must apply before your current stay expires.

A hawker's or informal trader's permit lets you sell goods or food from a stall, table or vehicle on a street, pavement or designated trading area. Trading without one where a by-law requires it can lead to confiscation of your stock and a fine.

Public events — festivals, concerts, fun runs, markets and big community gatherings — need municipal approval, and larger or higher-risk events are regulated under the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2 of 2010. The permit confirms safety, medical, traffic and noise arrangements are in place.

A filming permit is written permission to shoot film, video or photography for commercial purposes in a public place or on public land. In South Africa there is no single national film permit: you apply to the city film office (such as the Cape Town Film Permit Office or the Johannesburg Film Office), to the provincial nature conservation body for reserves, or to the landowner for private property.

Recreational fishing in South Africa — sea, estuary or freshwater — requires a permit under the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998 and provincial conservation laws. Short-term (monthly) and annual permits are sold at Post Offices, and species, size and bag limits apply.