If employees drive cars, bakkies, trucks, buses or other vehicles for your business, having the right driving licence – and, where required, a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) – is an important part of keeping your fleet compliant and properly protected.
If employees drive cars, bakkies, trucks, buses or other vehicles for your business, having the right driving licence – and, where required, a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) – is an important part of keeping your fleet compliant and properly protected.
Your business vehicle may be insured, serviced and ready for the road.
But what about the person behind the wheel?
Whether your business runs one delivery bakkie or an entire fleet, checking that employees are legally permitted to drive the vehicles assigned to them should be part of your regular risk-management routine.
Miway’s Business Vehicles and Fleet Insurance provides cover options for commercial cars, bakkies, vans, trucks and fleets. Its driver-cover options include single regular drivers, multiple named drivers and pool drivers. Miway specifies that pool drivers must have a valid licence, the required permit and the business’s permission to drive the vehicles.
For some commercial drivers, a standard driving licence isn’t enough. They may also need a Professional Driving Permit (PrDP).
A Professional Driving Permit, commonly called a PrDP, is an additional permit required for drivers of certain categories of vehicles in South Africa.
It does not replace a normal driving licence.
The driver must still hold a valid driving licence for the type of vehicle concerned.
According to the South African Government’s Professional Driving Permit guidance, a PrDP is required for specified vehicles used to transport passengers, goods or dangerous goods.
A PrDP or driving licence also does not replace appropriate insurance. Licensing establishes whether the driver is legally authorised to operate the vehicle, while insurance provides cover according to the applicable policy terms, conditions and exclusions.
No.
An employee does not automatically need a PrDP simply because they drive a vehicle for work.
Whether a PrDP is required depends on factors including the type of vehicle, its gross vehicle mass, whether passengers are transported for reward and what the vehicle carries.
Current South African requirements include, among others:
This means a business owner should check the vehicle and the work being performed rather than assume every employee driver has the same licensing requirements.
If you’re uncertain, confirm the current requirements with the relevant licensing authority.
Businesses transporting stock, materials or customers’ goods should also consider whether Goods in Transit Insurance is appropriate. This cover relates to the goods being transported and is separate from the driver’s licensing obligations and vehicle insurance.
Where vehicles transport hazardous substances, businesses may also face environmental risks such as spills, clean-up costs and waste disposal. Miway’s Environmental Liability Insurance is designed for specified environmental exposures, subject to the selected cover and policy terms. It does not replace the licences, permits, training or safety procedures required by law.
Category G – Goods
Category G applies to specified goods and breakdown vehicles.
Businesses using delivery vans, trucks or other commercial vehicles should review both the driver’s licensing requirements and the protection provided by their business vehicle and goods-in-transit policies.
Category P – Passengers
Category P applies to passenger transport and also authorises certain vehicles covered by Category G.
This may include drivers transporting passengers for reward, depending on the vehicle and operation.
Businesses must verify whether additional operating licences, permits or sector-specific requirements apply to their passenger-transport activities.
Category D – Dangerous goods
Category D applies to vehicles transporting dangerous goods and carries additional training requirements.
Businesses operating in this area should treat driver qualifications, vehicle suitability, emergency procedures and appropriate liability protection as parts of the same risk-management process.
The appropriate PrDP must also be supported by a valid driving licence for the vehicle being driven.
Giving someone the keys shouldn't be the end of the process.
A driver who holds a licence may not necessarily have the correct licence code or PrDP category for the vehicle you're asking them to drive.
For businesses, inadequate driver checks can create several risks:
· regulatory non-compliance;
· vehicles being unavailable for planned work;
· interrupted deliveries or customer appointments;
· increased liability exposure;
· complications following an accident or claim; and
· reputational damage.
South African regulations place responsibility on operators and owners not to allow someone to drive a vehicle requiring a PrDP unless that person holds the appropriate valid permit.
Driver compliance should therefore form part of your wider fleet-risk management process.
Potentially – but the answer isn't as simple as saying every claim will automatically be rejected.
Having the correct licence and permit remains important, and businesses should ensure drivers comply with legal and policy requirements.
However, an insurance claim is assessed according to the circumstances of the loss and the applicable policy wording.
A 2025 case considered by South Africa's National Financial Ombud involved a truck that was hijacked while its driver had an expired PrDP. The Ombud considered whether the expired permit was actually material to the loss and found that having a valid PrDP would not have prevented that particular hijacking.
The lesson for business owners isn't that PrDPs don't matter.
They do.
The lesson is that insurance decisions depend on policy conditions, the facts of the incident and whether a particular breach is relevant to the loss.
The safest approach is therefore straightforward: keep your drivers properly licensed, keep required permits current and understand the conditions of your business insurance policy before something goes wrong.
Create a simple driver-verification process.
Before assigning a vehicle, check:
Confirm that the employee holds a current driving licence and that it is appropriate for the vehicle.
A licence to operate one class of vehicle doesn't necessarily authorise a person to drive another.
Don't assign a driver based only on the fact that they have a driving licence.
Check the vehicle category, gross vehicle mass, passenger use, operating-licence requirements and whether dangerous goods are being transported.
Where a PrDP is required, make sure it authorises the work and vehicle concerned.
Don't wait until the expiry date to discover that a driver cannot legally be assigned to a route.
Create reminders well in advance and keep copies of relevant documents in your compliance records.
A delivery vehicle, company car, e-hailing vehicle and long-haul truck don't have identical risk profiles.
Make sure your business insurance reflects the actual use of your vehicles and the drivers operating them.
The current government process requires applicants to apply through a Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC), with Gauteng residents directed to use the NaTIS online application process.
Requirements include a valid driving licence for the relevant vehicle type, medical fitness and other documentation and checks depending on the permit category.
The South African Government advises that the process can take up to 12 weeks, so drivers and fleet managers should avoid leaving applications until the last minute.
For the latest documents, requirements and application process, use the South African Government PrDP guide.
Licence rules are changing, but don't confuse ordinary driving licences with professional permits.
In July 2026, Cabinet approved extending the validity period for certain light motor vehicle and motorcycle driving licences from five to ten years.
The change still requires legislative implementation.
PrDPs remain on their existing two-year renewal cycle, so businesses should continue tracking their drivers' permit expiry dates carefully.
Licence compliance shouldn't happen only when you employ a new driver.
Drivers, vehicles and business operations change.
A practical fleet process should include regular checks of:
· driving licences;
· licence codes;
· required PrDP categories;
· permit expiry dates;
· authorised drivers;
· vehicle assignments;
· driver training;
· incidents and driving history; and
· insurance details.
If you manage multiple vehicles, maintaining a central record with renewal reminders can reduce the chances of an expired document being missed.
Business vehicles are more than assets parked outside your premises.
For delivery companies, contractors, logistics operators and mobile-service businesses, they help generate revenue every day.
That means your risk management shouldn't stop at insuring the vehicle.
It should include who is driving it, whether they're properly authorised and whether your cover reflects the way your fleet actually operates.
Miway's business vehicle and fleet insurance provides cover options for businesses operating anything from individual work vehicles to fleets, with driver-cover options designed around different operating requirements.
You can also read our guide on choosing the right insurance for your business vehicle.
Your drivers, vehicles and insurance all form part of the same risk picture.
Regularly check driver licences and PrDPs, review vehicle use and make sure your cover continues to match the way your business operates.
Explore Miway Business Insurance and find cover designed around your business vehicles and fleet.
A Professional Driving Permit, or PrDP, is an additional permit required for drivers of specified goods, passenger and dangerous-goods vehicles. It does not replace the ordinary driving licence needed for the vehicle class.
No. The need depends on the vehicle, gross vehicle mass, passenger transport, operating licence and goods carried. Employers should verify current rules for the exact operation.
Government guidance includes goods vehicles with a gross vehicle mass above 3,500 kg, as well as breakdown vehicles and other specified categories. Confirm the current rule for the vehicle and route.
The main categories are G for specified goods vehicles, P for passenger transport and D for dangerous goods. The driver must also hold the correct ordinary licence for the vehicle.
PrDPs remain on a two-year renewal cycle. Cabinet’s July 2026 approval of longer validity for certain light-vehicle licences did not change the PrDP cycle and still required legislative implementation for the affected ordinary licences.
The South African Government advises that processing may take up to 12 weeks. Apply early and monitor expiry dates so a driver is not assigned without the required valid documentation.
It can be relevant, but a claim is assessed under its facts and policy wording. An NFO case published in 2025 found an expired PrDP was not material to a hijacking because it did not cause or contribute to that loss.
Verify the licence validity, licence code, PrDP requirement and category, expiry dates, authorised-driver status and actual business use disclosed to the insurer.
Applicants generally use a Driving Licence Testing Centre, while Gauteng applicants are directed to the NaTIS online process. Requirements include a valid licence and medical fitness, with extra requirements for some categories.
Check documents at onboarding and on a scheduled recurring basis, with reminders well before expiry. Recheck when drivers, vehicles, routes, loads or business use change.
