South Africa

South Africans get R16 million for pothole damage to their cars

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has paid R15.71 million in claims for pothole damage on the country’s national roads between 2022/23 and 2024/25.

This was revealed in Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s response to a Parliamentary question from Rise Mzansi.

The minister said that, between 2022/23 and 2024/25, SANRAL paid 116 claimants R15,710,638.04 for pothole damage on the country’s national roads.

“What is of concern to RISE Mzansi is that despite the number of claims reducing in number over the stated period, the amounts paid out have increased sharply,” the party said.

“For example, in 2022/23, there were 53 claims paid out to the value of almost R1.2 million, while in 2024/25, thus far, with just over half the number (27) of claims, almost R14 million has been paid out.”

These figures only relate to claims made on the country’s national routes maintained and managed by SANRAL and, therefore, do not include claims made to Provinces and Municipalities.

Rise Mzansi said potholes on the country’s national roads could, in part, be directly linked to the collapse of the rail network and an increased number of trucks on the roads used to move goods and services to and from the country’s ports. 

The performance of Transnet’s rail network has deteriorated in recent years. As companies cannot rely on rail to get their products to market or ports for export, increasing amounts of freight are transported via road. 

This not only has severe negative consequences for the state-owned company’s financial health, but it also puts immense pressure on South Africa’s road infrastructure. 

In a research note, The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) outlined how severe and sharp Transnet’s decline has been. 

Between 2009 and 2016, rail accounted for approximately 26% to 27% of total road and rail payload. This percentage has been in steady decline, reaching a low of 15% in 2022 and 16% last year. 

The decline in rail freight and the corresponding rise in road freight can be seen in the graph from the BER below.

In South Africa, freight rail has predominantly focused on bulk commodities like coal and iron ore and some manufacturing payload, making it critical for economic activity. 

However, most of this freight has shifted to road transport as commodity exporters look for alternative ways to get their products to market. 

Stats SA’s Land Transport Survey shows that, in 2023, South African roads transported 217.5 million tonnes more freight than they did on average between 2012 and 2019, while the rail network transported 56.2 million tonnes less.

This has resulted in Transnet Freight Rail coming under immense financial pressure, with R14.2 billion less income generated by rail transport in 2023 than an average year between 2012 and 2019. 

On the other hand, income generated from road transport increased by R12.9 billion over the same period. 

The Road Freight Association’s Gavin Kelly said last year that vehicle maintenance costs and Transnet bailouts are straining the public purse. 

Poor road conditions are causing significant damage to vehicles, leading to higher operating costs for businesses and consumers. 

“You have to make sure that your vehicle is in pristine condition. Tires are one of those things, and as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, our roads are not in as good a condition as we’d like them to be,” he said. 

“There are a lot more potholes appearing. Maintenance seems to have taken a backseat. That means far more damage to tyres, suspensions, brakes, and even brake linings and couplings.”

Kelly pointed to Transnet’s collapse as a major contributor to the increased truck traffic on already fragile roads. 

He warned that bailing out Transnet won’t solve the problem and that long-term solutions are needed to address the country’s infrastructure crisis.

“Moreover, potholes pose a danger to commuters and increase the cost of doing business,” Rise Mzansi said.

The party provided the yearly breakdown of claims SANRAL has paid out related to potholes over the past few years.

Financial YearNumber of ClaimsAmount Paid
2022/2353R1,184,576.53
2023/2436R874,838.03
2024/2527R13,678,223.48


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