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% to 82-million tonnes. Rail freight has dropped by 15% to 13.3-million tonnes a month, according to Statistics South Africa’s latest land transport survey.

Vandalism and poor maintenance are at the root of the drop in rail freight, according to a 2024 research report on the state of rail infrastructure. As a result, there are more heavy trucks on the country’s roads, worsening congestion. A report published in 2023 stated that 3,546 trucks were involved in fatal crashes over a five-year period, an average of two crashes a day.

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.