The typical South African number plate follows the pattern: (e.g., B 12 AB GP ).
This is where the system struggles most. south african number plates
and KwaZulu-Natal have begun rolling out "smart" tamper-proof plates featuring QR codes and enhanced security to combat cloning . Wikipedia +2 Provincial Codes and Designs Standard plates typically display alphanumeric characters followed by a provincial suffix. Most provinces use specific graphics representing local flora, fauna, or landmarks. Wikipedia +1 Province Suffix Design Elements Standard Text Color Gauteng GP Provincial coat of arms Blue (changing to Black/Red for new smart plates) Western Cape WP / CAA Plain white background (no graphics) Black KwaZulu-Natal ZN Provincial coat of arms (recently moved to ZN suffix) Blue Eastern Cape EC Elephant and aloe Black Free State FS Cheetah Black (includes expiry dates) Limpopo L Baobab tree and provincial coat of arms Black Mpumalanga MP Stylized rising sun Black Northern Cape NC Gemsbok and sand dune Green North West NW Maize cob, elephant, sunflower, and mine headgear Black Color Coding by Vehicle Type The color of the lettering often indicates the vehicle's registration type: Facebook +1 Blue The typical South African number plate follows the
South African plates are distinct from many countries: Wikipedia +2 Provincial Codes and Designs Standard plates
Under the post-2000 system, the province code at the end is the current registration province. The initial area code (e.g., CA) refers to the original issuing town’s historical code, which often remains even if the car moves provinces.