CAPE TOWN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The cost of road crashes is draining South Africa's economy by an estimated 205 billion rand (about 11.5 billion U.S. dollars) annually, equivalent to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa said on Wednesday.
Hlengwa made the remarks at the Western Cape leg of consultations on the National Road Safety Strategy in Cape Town, attended by road safety agencies and non-governmental organizations.
He said the review aims to identify priority measures to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities, align interventions with global best practices, and ultimately make South Africa's roads safer.
A draft review is expected by Nov. 1 and will be submitted to the cabinet for approval in December 2025, followed by implementation monitoring and reporting, he said.
According to figures released at the event, an average of 32 people die and 157 are seriously injured on the country's roads each day. More than 12,000 lives were lost in 2024 alone.
"We have a national crisis on our hands... So this is very urgent," said Hlengwa. "We have embarked on this process because we recognized that we need a new approach."
Ntsoaki Tsokolibane, general manager for Road Safety Education and Programs at the Road Traffic Management Corporation, said the high accident rate has fueled a growing burden of claims. In 2024, the Road Accident Fund paid out 45 billion rand in claims, continuing a trend since 2020 except for a dip in 2021.
The Western Cape Mobility Department also raised concern last week over a sharp rise in fatalities. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 11 this year, 52 people were killed on the province's roads, compared with 28 in the same period in 2024. Speeding, alcohol use, unsafe pedestrian crossings, and poor night-time visibility were identified as the main causes.
