Johannesburg, November 28, 2025 – Truck hijackings continue to plague South Africa’s road network, posing a severe threat to drivers, businesses, and the broader economy. While the South African Police Service recorded a decrease of 39 cases in the second quarter of 2025 (July to September) compared to the same period the previous year, the overall numbers remain high. In the 2023 fiscal year alone, 1,996 truck hijackings were reported, more than double the 821 incidents recorded in 2012.
South Africa now ranks among the worst countries globally for truck hijackings, with an average of 30 to 35 incidents occurring every week. In the first six months of 2025, vehicle-tracking company Tracker reported recovering 3,671 stolen vehicles, including numerous trucks, while assisting in 146 arrests and the recovery of 10 firearms.
Gauteng province remains the epicentre, accounting for more than 60% of all truck hijackings in the country. The N3 toll route and other major highways in the province are notorious hotspots. Other provinces show varying trends: North West recorded a 14.1% increase year-on-year, while the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo saw declines. Business-owned vehicles, particularly cargo trucks and courier vans, are 48% more likely to be hijacked than private vehicles, with most incidents occurring on Fridays between 16:00 and 21:00.
Criminals typically operate in groups of two to five, often armed, and frequently impersonate police officers using vehicles fitted with blue lights. Up to 90% of hijackings are believed to involve inside information supplied by drivers, depot staff, or security personnel. High-value cargo such as meat, electronics, fuel, and alcohol is targeted, with stolen goods quickly resold on the black market. Trailers are sometimes driven straight to neighbouring countries, making recovery difficult. For reasons that remain unclear, black-coloured trucks are 70% more likely to be targeted.
The human and economic cost is substantial. Drivers face violence, kidnapping, and lasting trauma, while constant fear of attack contributes to fatigue and higher accident rates. Insurance premiums for logistics companies have in some cases risen by as much as 1,700% since the 2021 unrest. Annual losses to the economy from truck hijackings and related crime are estimated at up to R10 billion. The surge in courier-van hijackings, now averaging up to 25 per day, is also disrupting the fast-growing e-commerce sector, which is projected to reach R130 billion in turnover this year.
Recent arrests illustrate both the scale of the problem and the intensity of the law-enforcement response:
- On 2 November 2025, six suspects aged 28–48 were arrested on the R559 between Carletonville and Randfontein after hijacking a truck carrying R500,000 worth of meat. The vehicle and cargo were recovered intact following a multi-agency operation.
- In April 2025, five suspects aged 50–69 were apprehended minutes after a hijacking in Sebenza on the R25 Modderfontein Road.
- In March 2025, two Gauteng Traffic Police motorcycle-unit officials were arrested for alleged involvement in a truck hijacking, highlighting internal corruption risks.
- Several high-profile recoveries on the N3 highway this year, including a shootout in March that freed two kidnapped drivers and led to the arrest of suspects linked to more than 30 hijackings.
Law-enforcement efforts have been intensified through intelligence-led operations and partnerships between SAPS units (including the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit and Tactical Response Teams) and private tracking companies such as Tracker and Cartrack, which achieve recovery rates above 90% for fitted vehicles. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu have both identified truck hijacking as a priority, with quarterly crime statistics showing a 21.6% national decrease in the first quarter of 2025, although Gauteng and the Northern Cape recorded increases.
Industry bodies continue to call for improved lighting on high-risk routes, stricter regulation of scrap-metal dealers and second-hand goods markets, and mandatory advanced tracking and anti-tampering technology on heavy vehicles. As the festive season approaches and cargo volumes rise, authorities and logistics companies are bracing for a potential “bonus-season” spike in attacks.
The fight against truck hijacking remains a critical battle to protect South Africa’s supply chains, road safety, and economic stability.
