WeBuyCars online car registration launched

WeBuyCars, in partnership with The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), is pioneering an online registration of motor vehicles and a change of ownership process.

This new online platform offers a more efficient method for motor vehicle dealers and financial institutions to transact directly with Natis.

It removed the need to physically handle documents or visits to registering authorities when buying and selling a car.

It will also reduce waiting times when buying and selling a car as the process is handled online with rapid turnaround times.

Previously, vehicle dealers had to use the services of a middleman to register and change ownership when they bought and sold cars.

The previous system was associated with filling in large amounts of paperwork, standing in lengthy queues at licencing authorities, and long waiting periods.

The new online system, an expansion of the current Natis system, offers a faster and more seamless experience.

It was first launched in 2022 and has been in operation on a trial basis at WeBuyCars to test its efficiency and allow the RTMC to identify areas of improvement.

The RTMC has now opened the platform to all motor vehicle dealers and financial service providers in South Africa.

WeBuyCars CEO Faan van der Walt explained they created the online system out of frustration with the problems experienced with the previous car registration and licensing process.

He said previously you were unsure if you could successfully register a vehicle after purchasing it from the owner.

“The registration document might be fraudulent or out of date. So, it was always a gamble when buying a car,” he said.

The new system allows dealerships to check online whether the cars they buy are legitimate. Registration is also instantaneous.

Users will also have peace of mind that when they sell a car to a participating dealership, it is immediately off their name.

Although this is a positive first step, he said that going fully digital to buy and sell a car will take time.

The first step was the launch of the system to register and do notifications of change of ownership online. “This is the first step towards going digital,” he said.

“Hopefully, in future, South African car dealerships and individuals will be able to buy and sell cars completely paperless.”

The new online registration system is currently only available to car dealerships and financial institutions, with a public launch set for next year.