South Africa’s national road network is increasingly being exploited by criminals, turning key highways and freight routes into what researchers describe as “crime corridors”.
The findings were presented at the 44th Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) in Pretoria in a paper titled Road-Based Crimes on the National Road Network: An Initial Investigation. The research forms part of broader work by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) into driver behaviour and road safety.
According to Serialong Kumalo, communications consultant for the SATC, the study suggests the country’s road safety crisis is far more complex than previously understood.
“South Africa’s road safety crisis may be even more complex than previously understood. It is not only reckless driving, vehicle defects, speeding or poor enforcement that are placing road users at risk. Criminals are now exploiting the road network itself,” Kumalo said.
Crime Now a Major Road Safety Threat
Traditionally, road safety discussions have focused on speeding, drunk driving, poor vehicle maintenance and weak law enforcement. However, the study argues that violent crime must now be recognised as a significant risk factor for motorists.
Crimes such as car hijackings, truck hijackings, cash-in-transit robberies, shootings and smash-and-grab attacks often occur on busy roads. These incidents can trigger panic, sudden braking, swerving and high-speed chases — placing countless other road users in danger.
Researchers analysed South African Police Service crime statistics from 2013/14 to 2023/24 and found a sharp rise in certain offences.
Carjackings more than doubled over the past decade, increasing from 11,180 incidents to 22,702. Truck hijackings have also climbed in recent years, particularly along key freight corridors.
Cape Town Hotspot Raises Alarm
One of the most concerning findings relates to a specific stretch of the N2 in Cape Town, between Jakes Gerwel Drive and Mew Way, including the R300 intersection.
Between 2016 and 2024, this corridor recorded 718 incidents:
- 279 hijackings
- 268 smash-and-grab attacks
- 156 shootings
- 15 cash-in-transit robberies
This single stretch accounted for nearly 47% of all road crimes against individuals recorded in the Cape Town study area.
The study also identified significant hotspots in Gauteng and eThekwini, with hijackings emerging as the dominant offence across multiple provinces.
Criminals Studying the Road Network
Perhaps the most sobering conclusion of the research is that criminals are not acting randomly — they are adapting strategically to the road environment.
“The paper’s most sobering conclusion is that criminals are actively studying and exploiting the road environment rather than simply operating within it. They are refining their methods, choosing specific vehicles, tailoring their tactics to particular crime types, and using surrounding land, escape routes and road geometry to their advantage,” Kumalo said.
Features designed to improve traffic flow — such as off-ramps, major interchanges, traffic lights and pedestrian bridges — can inadvertently create ideal conditions for ambushes and quick getaways.
Criminals reportedly assess traffic patterns, congestion points and nearby informal settlements or access roads that allow them to disappear quickly after an attack.
Call for New Approach
The paper argues that road-based crime should no longer be viewed purely as a policing issue. Instead, it calls for collaboration between road authorities, transport planners and law enforcement agencies.
Recommendations include:
- Intelligence-led policing focused on hotspot mapping
- Infrastructure-specific interventions at high-risk locations
- Improved coordination between SANRAL and SAPS
- Design adjustments to reduce vulnerability at interchanges and traffic signals
Kumalo said the findings highlight how crime is reshaping South Africa’s transport landscape.
“South Africa’s national roads are economic arteries. This research suggests they are also becoming contested spaces where safety, security and mobility now collide,” he said.
Beyond Traditional Policing
The researchers conclude that tackling road-based crime will require a shift from reactive policing to proactive, data-driven interventions.
By integrating crime analysis into transport planning and infrastructure design, authorities hope to disrupt criminal patterns and reclaim highways as safe spaces for commuters, freight operators and long-distance travellers.
As hijackings and related crimes continue to rise, the study warns that failing to address the intersection between crime and road design could further entrench South Africa’s highways as high-risk environments.
