South Africa’s transport system is no longer just inefficient, it has become a national risk. With more than 15 000 motor vehicle and over 10 000 pedestrian deaths every year, a R30 billion hole in the Road Accident Fund, and a substantially underperforming freight and commuter networks, Volker von Widdern, Head: Strategic Risk at Riskonet Africa, is warning that the country is migrating further away from sustainable strategic goals for personal mobility and the transport of goods. Transport efficiency is the backbone of an economy; our strategic goals should be the lowest quartile costs in logistics (with surplus capacity) and mass transit commuter networks that optimise access to economic zones.
Marking Transport Month, he is calling for immediate, targeted interventions to stabilise critical corridors, restore accountability and make public transport safer and more affordable.
Von Widdern says years of weak execution and poor planning have pushed road, rail, and port networks to the brink. “The declining capacity of the transport system has resulted in expensive, inefficient, and unsafe logistics and mobility. Every day that we delay reform, the human and economic toll grows higher,” he says.
Three national transport strategies – the National Land Transport Strategic Framework, the National Transport Master Plan and Gauteng’s 25-Year Integrated Transport Master Plan – all set out a clear vision for an integrated, accessible, and efficient system. Each plan highlights the same priorities: better land-use integration, a strong rail backbone, expanded road-based networks, non-motorised transport, data-led planning, and stronger governance.
But the gap between strategy and reality is widening. Congested roads, constrained rail / port services and unsafe pedestrian spaces have become daily features of South African life.
Pedestrian deaths alone account for almost 12 000 fatalities each year. The economic impact of crashes, delays and logistics failures now exceeds tens of billions of rand annually. “Every one of those numbers tells a story of wasted potential and lost lives. Transport is not a side issue it is a foundation of national resilience and competitiveness,” von Widdern adds.
He believes practical and radical steps can change the trajectory. These include private participation in rail and ports through concession and build-operate-transfer models; elevated commuter monorails along key highways; inland freight hubs; and night-time truck corridors with cost-reflective charges.
“In Japan, when trains run late, the minister resigns. That level of accountability is normal in countries where mass commuting is efficient and safe,” he says.
Riskonet Africa is calling for three immediate actions during Transport Month.
The first is a series of rapid risk and accessibility audits on two high-impact corridors one rail and one road to identify safety flaws, operational bottlenecks and quick-win upgrades. These audits would provide concrete before-and-after metrics to demonstrate measurable improvement in commuter safety, service reliability, and traffic flow.
The second is the introduction of a standardised funding and appraisal pack that gives metros and provinces a clear template to unlock financing tied to measurable outcomes. This would ensure that every project is assessed for value for money, long-term economic benefit, safety impact, and environmental performance, creating the discipline currently missing from much of the transport pipeline.
The third is a focused programme of workshops bringing together government, metros, and private-sector partners to align national priorities with projects that can be delivered. This is about moving away from planning fatigue and into disciplined, transparent execution with shared accountability.
“South Africa is running out of time to fix its mobility crisis,” von Widdern says. “Lives are being lost, capital is being wasted, and opportunities are disappearing. The cost of failure is no longer theoretical. It is real, measurable, and growing. Action can no longer wait.”
