Lesotho not adopting SARS-style vehicle registration measures

The Kingdom of Lesotho has confirmed it is not planning to implement SARS-style vehicle registration measures, despite recent confusion sparked by South Africa’s new border-declaration rules for foreign vehicles and domestic debates about modernising Lesotho’s own transport registry. Officials say Lesotho’s approach will remain distinct, focused on improving road safety, curbing plate abuse and strengthening vehicle identity verification rather than adopting the South African Revenue Service’s temporary importation and customs-centric framework.

The clarification comes just weeks before South Africa’s South African Revenue Service (SARS) begins enforcing strict electronic temporary import declarations for all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country – including Lesotho-registered cars – starting 1 June 2026. Under the new South African rule, motorists must register on SARS’s Traveller Management System (TMS), submit a temporary importation declaration in advance, and meet additional customs requirements. That requirement applies to vehicles crossing into South Africa; it is a South African border measure, not a Lesotho registration reform.

In response to public concern – especially among Basotho who frequently travel to South Africa with their vehicles – Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) issued a clear statement: the electronic declaration requirement is a SARS enforcement, not an RSL policy. RSL spokesperson Mr. Thabang Loko explained that “implementation of the temporary importation declaration requirement for motor vehicles entering South Africa is a declaration from South African Revenue Services not from Revenue Service Lesotho”. He added that RSL has “nothing to do with it” and that each country operates under its own laws and regulations.

Lesotho’s own vehicle-registration system is evolving, but along different lines. In late 2025, the kingdom unveiled new tamper-proof registration plates featuring QR Pin Stamp technology, laser engraving and a self-destructive stamp that activates if tampering is attempted. The new plates are designed to curb vehicle theft, prevent plate abuse and ensure the integrity of vehicle records. They also retain critical vehicle identity information even if severely damaged by fire and can be scanned by traffic officials across the region using a mobile phone. This reform is aligned with regional SADC integration goals and improves interoperability without importing South Africa’s customs declaration model.

Current Lesotho vehicle-registration requirements for vehicles from SADC countries already include a certificate of manufacture, a completed change-of-ownership form, customs clearance (CE 11), VAT payment receipt, Interpol clearance (SARPCO), CID and Interpol clearance from Lesotho, a stamped invoice, and a roadworthiness/fitness certificate. Fees are based on tare weight, ranging from M150 for vehicles up to 1,500 kg to M360 for those over 11,000 kg. These procedures reflect a regional customs and road-safety framework rather than a SARS-style temporary importation regime.

The distinction matters because the two systems serve different purposes. SARS’s new measures are primarily a customs and border-control tool aimed at monitoring temporary imports, preventing illegal importation, and improving revenue collection at South African ports of entry. Lesotho’s reforms, by contrast, focus on securing vehicle identity, strengthening domestic registration integrity and reducing theft and fraud within the kingdom’s own registry.

For Basotho motorists, the immediate practical impact is that they must comply with South Africa’s new TMS requirement when driving into South Africa, but they do not face a parallel SARS-style registration system inside Lesotho. News reports have warned that Basotho with Lesotho-registered vehicles in South Africa may face travel disruptions if they fail to submit the required electronic declaration before 1 June 2026. That obligation, however, stems from South African law, not from a new Lesotho policy.

Government officials have emphasised that Lesotho will continue to manage its own vehicle registration and licensing independently, respecting its legal framework and operational realities. The kingdom’s strategy is to modernise its registry with secure plates, better data systems and stronger inter-agency checks, rather than adopt South Africa’s temporary importation declaration model for vehicles entering its territory.

As cross-border traffic resumes after holidays and regional trade intensifies, clarity on these rules is essential. The key takeaway is simple: SARS’s strict border declaration rules apply when entering South Africa, but Lesotho is not importing a SARS-style registration system. Lesotho’s approach remains its own – focused on tamper-proof plates, secure data, and regional road-safety coordination, while Basotho motorists must separately comply with South Africa’s new electronic customs declaration when crossing the border.