RPL vs RPC: what South Africa’s drone licence is actually called now
Search for drone training in South Africa and you’ll meet two names for what sounds like the same licence: RPL and RPC. The name changed, the licence didn’t — here’s what each term means, which one you get today, and what it means for you if you hold the older one.
Two names, one certificate
RPL — Remote Pilot Licence — is the term South Africa’s drone industry grew up with, and it’s still the phrase most people type into a search box. For years it was simply what the qualification was called.
RPC — Remote Pilot Certificate — is what the same qualification is called now. It’s the current term, the one you’ll be working toward when you train, and the one your certificate carries.
Both refer to the SACAA-issued qualification that lets you operate a remotely piloted aircraft commercially under Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. If you trained years ago and hold a document that says RPL, you hold the same class of privilege the RPC grants now — the name moved on, the qualification didn’t.
The name on the paper changed. The privilege it grants — flying commercially under Part 101 — did not.
Side by side
| Aspect | Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) | Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | The former name | The current name |
| What it refers to | The Part 101 commercial remote-pilot qualification | The same Part 101 qualification |
| Where you’ll still see it | Older certificates, and how most people still search | Current training, applications and paperwork |
| What you actually get | One licence — categories (multirotor, aeroplane) and ratings (BVLOS, instructor) added on top | The same licence and the same add-ons |
The practical takeaway: whichever term you searched to get here, you’re looking at the same qualification. Choose a school by whether it’s a SACAA-accredited ATO, how it structures training, and what happens after your skills test — not by which acronym it prints.
If your certificate has lapsed, you don’t start over. Renewal and revalidation is a short refresher course with a revalidation flight check — not a new licence. Bring what you hold and we pick up from there.
If you hold an older RPL
If you trained a while ago and your document says “Remote Pilot Licence,” you hold the same class of privilege called an RPC today. Nothing about the qualification was downgraded or replaced when the name moved on. Two things are worth checking: that your licence is still valid (they expire, and a lapsed one needs revalidation before you fly commercially again), and that your medical and English Language Proficiency ratings are current, since those ride alongside the licence. If any of that has slipped, a renewal course sorts it out in about a day.
What this means for new students
If you’re starting out, the acronym is the last thing to worry about. You’re training toward the RPC — the current Part 101 commercial licence. At ALTUS that’s the RPC Multirotor course (or Aeroplane, or both), and it includes the radio licence and the English Language Proficiency assessment your application needs, plus arranging the Class 3 aviation medical before your application goes to SACAA. One course, everything the regulator asks for, and a licence you’ll hold for a career.
