Paying traffic fines is a thankless chore in any part of the world.
In South Africa where the fine has to be paid to the municipality in which the fine was incurred, it can be even worse.
If you were given a speeding fine while on holiday, say, on the other side of the country from where you live, theoretically you would have to go all the way to the offices of the issuing local traffic department to pay the fine.
Or else trust cash or a cheque to the postal system, never a great idea in any country these days.
Fortunately in South Africa internet transfers and online payments are quick, secure and easy.
When it comes to paying traffic fines, there are even dedicated sites, just for paying those fines.
There are several South African sites that offer this service and all of them are quite simple to use.
All you usually need is your ID number and your vehicle registration number and you can access records to see what outstanding fines there are listed for you.
Generally you can make payment by credit card and receive an electronic receipt.
All this can save a huge amount of time, even if the fine was incurred in your local municipality.
No longer do you have to queue at the traffic department to part with your money.
A couple of minutes online and all your outstanding traffic fines are taken care of, even if it is painful paying out the cash for such an unrewarding cause.
If you want an even better deal which saves you money as well as time, look out for the few specialised traffic fine management services that actually offer you a discount on your fines.
You can get as much as 20% taken off the total of the fines you owe, simply by using their services to pay your fines online.
Again it's a very simple process just needing your ID number and vehicle registration number and taking a couple of minutes to complete.
The great thing about these services compared with the automated fine paying sites, is that there are actually real people at the other end of a phone or e-mail, who can also give expert advice on any more complicated traffic fine problems.
All in all, it takes a little of the pain away, when you get a discount on those tiresome traffic fines, and it is all neatly taken care of with minimum of effort on your part.