Can you write the learner's test in your own language?

In the Western Cape, the computerised learner's test is offered in all 11 official languages and you choose the one you want. Other provinces may offer fewer. Ask your testing centre before you book.

Which languages is the learner's test offered in?

It depends on where you write the test.

Western Cape. A notice from Hessequa Municipality, dated 25 April 2025, says the computerised test is offered in all 11 official languages. The City of Cape Town said the same when it brought the system to its testing centres, as reported by IOL in December 2025 and TimesLive in February 2026.
KwaZulu-Natal. The provincial Department of Transport's question-and-answer page says the test can be written in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu. The page shows no date, so check that this is still the case.
Other provinces. We found no official list. The national gov.za page on learner's licences does not say which languages are offered.

Because this differs by province, ask your testing centre which languages it offers before you pay.

How do I ask for the test in my language?

Tell the testing centre which language you want. The Hessequa notice says the applicant can choose the language. None of the official pages we opened explains at which point you make the choice, so do both of these:

1. When you book, tell the official which language you want and ask whether the centre offers it. 2. On test day, before the test starts, check that the screen is in your language. If it is not, tell the examiner before you answer anything.

The City of Cape Town says the system has a demonstration function that lets you get used to it before the test begins. Ask to use it.

What if I cannot read well, or cannot read at all?

Ask the testing centre about an oral test well before your test date. The copy of the road traffic regulations that we opened says a person may do an oral test only if they cannot read or write, and only with the permission of the provincial MEC.

Langeberg Municipality in the Western Cape said in 2021 that applicants who cannot read or write may ask for an oral examination and must bring supporting documents. Your centre will tell you what it needs.

What about applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing?

The computerised system is meant to work without an interpreter. SAnews, the government news agency, reported at the launch in May 2025 that the system gives on-screen instructions in several languages for hearing-impaired applicants, so that an interpreter is not needed. Tell the centre about your needs when you book.

What have officials said about the language in the new test?

Questions were raised in July 2026 about how clear the wording of the test is.

The Freedom Front Plus said on 22 July 2026 that the Western Cape Mobility Department had confirmed the test content did not go through an independent language check before it was rolled out. The party said many questions are poorly phrased and hard to understand.
The Citizen reported that the Road Traffic Management Corporation, which looks after the test, said the language editing and translation were done by the University of the Witwatersrand in about 2007.
The George Herald reported on 31 July 2026 that the Western Cape Minister of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, had visited testing centres to look into the low pass rates. It also reported that Prof Nomafrench Mbombo of the DA said some questions seem to have more than one reasonable answer.

None of the reports we opened gave pass rates for each language.

Which language should I choose?

Choose the language you read most easily. Study in that language where you can, because road signs and vehicle controls have set names and the test uses them.

If your study material is in English and you plan to write in another language, ask the centre whether a learner driver manual is available in that language.

Sources

Last checked: October 2026

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