South Africa recorded 11,418 road fatalities from 9,674 crashes in 2025. This figure reflects a 6.2 per cent decrease compared to earlier years, yet the annual death toll stays above 11,000.
During the 2024/2025 festive season, spanning 1 December 2024 to 11 January 2025, 1,589 people died in 1,286 fatal crashes. Fatalities rose 2.38 per cent (37 more deaths) from the 1,552 recorded in the previous festive season, while fatal crashes increased by 0.08 per cent (one more crash).
Human factors accounted for 84.5 per cent of fatal crashes in that period, up from 79 per cent the year before. Within human factors, “speed too high for circumstances” contributed 17.2 per cent. Jaywalking stood at 21.7 per cent and hit-and-run incidents at 21.8 per cent. Pedestrians comprised 41.9 per cent of all fatalities. Males made up 73.7 per cent of deaths, and people aged 25 to 44 accounted for 51.9 per cent. Most fatal crashes occurred on Saturdays and Sundays (41 per cent) and between 17:00 and 23:00 (41.1 per cent).
In the first quarter of 2025 (January to March), 2,403 fatalities occurred in 2,050 fatal crashes. This represented a 14.73 per cent drop in deaths (415 fewer) and an 11.90 per cent drop in crashes (277 fewer) compared with January to March 2024. Human factors contributed 84 per cent of fatal crashes. “Speed too high for circumstances” accounted for 13.6 per cent of those human factors. Hit-and-run incidents made up 25.5 per cent and jaywalking 20.6 per cent. Gauteng recorded 506 fatalities, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 438 and Western Cape with 308.
Over the Easter 2025 period, 186 fatalities were recorded in 155 fatal crashes. This marked a 44.48 per cent reduction in deaths (149 fewer) and a 34.32 per cent reduction in crashes (81 fewer) from Easter 2024. Human factors contributed 94 per cent of fatal crashes, with “speed too high for circumstances” at 13.9 per cent.
Across these periods, pedestrians remained highly vulnerable, forming between 41 and 45 per cent of fatalities. Single-vehicle overturns accounted for 21.2 per cent of festive-season fatal crashes, while head-on collisions made up 11 per cent. Motor cars and station wagons were involved in 36.9 per cent of festive fatal crashes, and light delivery vehicles in 15.9 per cent.
Enforcement data from peak periods show repeated interventions targeting speed. In one festive-season operation, 414 drivers were arrested for high speed, five of them exceeding 200 km/h up to well above 240 km/h. During Easter 2025 operations, 89 drivers faced arrest for excessive speeding.
Provincial patterns remain consistent. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal together contributed more than 40 per cent of fatal crashes in the first quarter of 2025. Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Western Cape also recorded significant numbers, though several provinces showed year-on-year reductions in both crashes and fatalities during targeted periods.
The statistics from successive reporting periods confirm that human factors dominate fatal crashes at 84 to 94 per cent, with excessive speed consistently appearing among the top three contributors in that category. “Speed too high for circumstances” ranged from 13.6 per cent to 17.2 per cent across the analysed high-risk windows in 2025.
These figures illustrate the persistent role of speed in South Africa’s road death toll, even as overall numbers show modest declines in some quarters and holiday periods. The data span annual totals, festive-season spikes, quarterly trends and Easter operations, all drawn from official crash reporting.
Tragedy on Olifantsafontein Road: Young Girl and Avanza Driver Killed in Head-On Collision
A head-on collision between an Avanza and a grey Audi at the intersection of Olifantsafontein Road and South View has claimed the lives of two people, including a young girl.
The driver of the grey Audi, a 30-year-old man, is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol when the vehicles collided. Officers from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department tested the Audi driver on the scene and recorded an alcohol reading of 0.64.
Paramedics certified both the driver of the Avanza and the female passenger, aged between 10 and 11 years, dead at the scene after they succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.
A second passenger in the Avanza, a 16-year-old girl, suffered serious injuries. She was transported to Thembisa Tertiary Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The 30-year-old driver of the Audi was arrested at the scene. He will face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving, culpable homicide, and fleeing from the scene of the accident.
This information is based solely on details released regarding the incident. No further particulars about the identities of the victims or additional circumstances have been made available at this stage.
North West Family Demands Justice After Bouncer Granted Bail in Brother’s Murder Case
BRITS – The family of Mojalefa Raymond Mpiriane, a 35-year-old man from Maboloka in the North West province, is calling for justice following the release on bail of the bouncer accused of murdering him.
Mpiriane was stabbed in the chest during an incident outside a local club in Brits on the night of 8 February 2026. His body was later found outside the Brits police station.
Clement Masire, 38, a bouncer at the club, faces a charge of murder. Police allege the stabbing followed an argument in which Mpiriane slapped a woman on her buttocks; the woman is believed to be a relative of the suspect.
Masire appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court and was granted bail of R5 000.
The murder case was officially registered at the Brits Police Station on 8 February 2026. North West police spokeswoman Sergeant Kelebogile Morake confirmed the details of the investigation.
Mpiriane’s family members from Maboloka – sisters Dineo Lion (30) and Lerato Mpiriane (27), cousin Keneilwe Mpiriane (25), and brother-in-law Thapelo Lion (32) – have stated they want the suspect to remain behind bars until the matter is finalised. They are also seeking full answers about how the victim’s body ended up at the police station and have raised safety concerns about travelling to Brits.
Mpiriane is survived by his girlfriend and three children.
The matter is still before the court.
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DURBAN METRO POLICE SERVICE MAKES SWIFT ARREST IN PHOENIX ROBBERY INCIDENT
Durban Metro Police Service officers carried out a swift arrest following a robbery that targeted a school learner in the Phoenix area.
The incident took place outside Stonebridge Primary School, where a learner from Phoenix Secondary School was approached by a suspect. The suspect allegedly robbed the learner of her cellphone.
Reports state that the suspect used a pellet gun while committing the offence. The Durban Metro Police Service responded promptly to the situation, leading to the immediate apprehension of the suspect at the scene.
The arrested individual has been taken into custody. Authorities are now processing the matter according to standard procedures.
