Famous for the "N" prefix. Collectors love the sub-codes for smaller coastal towns.
During this era, you would see plates where the province was identified by letters at the of the plate. This is a crucial distinction in the "old South African number plates list."
Whether you are a restorer trying to make a 1978 Ford Cortina "period correct," a prop master for a film set in the 1980s, or just someone who found a rusty plate in your grandfather's garage, this list is your key to decoding the past. old south african number plates list
The Cape used a system where prefixes were assigned to towns based on their size at the time of the system's creation. : Cape Town CB : Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) CC : Kimberley CD : King William’s Town CE : East London CF : Kuils River CG : Oudtshoorn CH : Queenstown CJ : Paarl CK : Malmesbury (later used for Swellendam) CL : Stellenbosch CN : Wellington CW : Worcester CY : Bellville 2. Natal (Prefix "N")
This article focuses on —the truly "old" plates that are no longer issued. Famous for the "N" prefix
While modern South African plates are functional and standardised (with the slick reflective sheen and Euro-style font), they lack the character of the old system. The old South African number plates list is a geography lesson on metal—each code a whisper of the Durban beachfront, a rumble on the Reef, or a quiet drive through the Free State plains.
South Africa 's vehicle registration history is a colorful map of the country’s political and administrative shifts. Before the 1994 democratic transition, the nation was divided into four main provinces— Cape , Natal , Orange Free State , and Transvaal —and several autonomous "homelands," each with its own unique numbering system. This is a crucial distinction in the "old
Here is the definitive list of you will encounter: