Unpaid fines could paralyse businesses under new AARTO demerit system – Barry Berman (SA Fines)

South Africa’s long-awaited Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system takes effect on 1 December 2025 in 69 municipalities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, with smaller regions to follow in April. Barry Berman, CEO of traffic fine platform Fines SA, says he expects the current fine settlement rate, currently as low as 20%, to rise to over 90% with the introduction of the new demerit points system. In an interview with BizNews, Berman warned that unpaid fines could become a logistical nightmare for companies with vehicles, affecting not just the driver or fleet manager but the business itself. Under AARTO, traffic fines for company vehicles will now be linked directly to a business’s Registration Number (BRN), rather than an individual. This means unpaid fines could block the company’s BRN on the Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System (eNaTIS), halting vehicle licence disc renewals, new registrations, and suspending driver licences. Berman urged businesses to sign up with Fines SA to track and settle outstanding fines in time and cautioned motorists to be wary of clone sites and fraudulent apps..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here.Listen here.Highlights from the interview.Era of ignoring fines is over .South Africa’s long-delayed Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) will finally go live on 1 December in 69 municipalities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, ending decades of traffic fine apathy and introducing steep penalties for non-payment. In an interview with BizNews, Barry Berman, CEO of traffic fine management platform Fines SA, warned motorists and businesses that the era of ignoring fines is over. “The days of the past when there has been a lot of apathy and people have not paid traffic fines are going to be over,” Berman said. “The fines are going to escalate at quite a rapid rate... ultimately you’re going to be blocked within 96 days and then you’re going to have to pay for your fines anyway.” Under AARTO, motorists have 32 days to pay fines at a 50% discount. Miss that window, and penalties mount: R100 for a demand letter, another R100 for an enforcement order. .Fleet owners face operational risks .Businesses with drivers and fleets are at highest risk as unpaid fines will not only affect drivers but will also have a knock-on effect on businesses. A new demerit points system starts drivers at 15 points. Exceed that, and licences are suspended, and the entire business is blocked on the electronic National Traffic Information System (eNaTIS)“Their drivers are not going to be able to drive... and the vehicles are not going to be able to be on the road because you won’t be able to renew your car licence discs,” Berman warned. .Old fines still valid - must be paid .Motorists hoping that fines incurred before the changes will vanish are mistaken. Berman said those fines that have been part of the CPA system are still valid and won’t fall away. They will escalate into summonses and warrants. .Compliance expected to jump .Historically the payment success rate in South Africa is low at around 20%. Berman said it is because of difficulties to serve summons and information on the eNaTIS is not always up to date, but Berman hopes that this will jump to 90% plus under the new system. The public will learn very quickly, he said, that if they can’t access the eNaTIS system, they can’t renew their licence. Under the new system, he said, the government’s not coming after you anymore. Unpaid fines will mean that motorists are blocked and they only way to get a licence or renew a driver’s licence, buy or sell cars is if old fines are settled. “Within 96 days, if you haven’t paid the fine, you are effectively blocked on the system. There’s nowhere to hide.”.Rollout: staggered, tested, and ready .Despite misgivings as to whether the government is ready to implement the new system, Berman is confident that it has been tested and is ready for implementation. He said there has been a very long trial period of over 15 years and motorists have had warnings. He suggested that they should sign up on the Fines SA app and “just get ahead of it.” Berman was confident that the rollout will go smoothly but acknowledged that it could be “a bit complicated” as there would be two traffic fine systems running at the same time..Be aware of scams .Clone sites and apps have started appearing ahead of the AARTO rollout, and Berman has warned motorists and businesses to be cautious before they click on the pay button. “We use a global payment platform called PayFast. So just be vigilant,” he said..Saving 50% for early payment.Berman believes that there will be an incentive for motorists to pay because they can save half of the fine. He suggested the public takes advantage of this because “if you don’t pay within 32 days, they start charging R100 for a letter of demand, another R100 for an enforcement order.” This means your R200 to R300 fine will double by the time a motorist is actually forced to pay.

Unpaid fines could paralyse businesses under new AARTO demerit system – Barry Berman (SA Fines)

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