For every tonne of freight moved by rail, six tonnes are transported on SA's roads
In July 2025, over 85% of South Africa’s land freight was carried by road. For every tonne moved by rail, more than six were hauled by road.
Over the past 15 years, the amount of road freight per month has increased by over 50%, from 54-million tonnes in January 2010 to 82-million tonnes in July 2025.
Rail freight has dropped by 15%, from 15.6-million tonnes a month to 13.3-million tonnes a month, according to Statistics South Africa’s latest land transport survey.
The reason for the drop in rail freight is because of South Africa’s vandalised rail infrastructure and its poor maintenance, according to a 2024 State of Railway Infrastructure in South Africa research report. It has resulted in pushing more heavy trucks onto the country’s roads, with roads becoming increasingly congested and dangerous. A Road Traffic Management Corporation report in 2023 found that 3 546 trucks were involved in fatal crashes over five years, nearly two a day on average.
Transnet has opened its rail network to private operators. The reform aims to shift road freight back to rail, which will ease pressure on roads.
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