South African estate fines residents R4,000 for courier driver speeding tickets

Many residents in Midstream Estate have voiced their objection to the estate’s new speed cameras and to being fined up to R4,000 when a courier driver breaks the rules.

The estate has a speed limit of 30 km/h. This limit was previously enforced through sporadic speed traps manned by security personnel.

However, the Midstream Estate informed residents that it was insufficient and that more stringent measures were needed to change behaviour.

“It is of great concern to the board and the HOA that there seems to be a general disregard for the speed limit, and frequent transgressions occur,” it said.

The HOA stated that it had attempted to enforce adherence to the speed limit through traditional enforcement methods, including traditional speed traps.

“While this method was effective to some extent, the deployment frequency is limited to daylight hours and areas that it can cover over a workday or week cycle,” it said.

Midstream said it has decided to implement a new automated, unmanned speed measuring solution, called Smart Speedcam Solution.

The system consists of stand-alone, back-to-back speed measuring cameras installed at three fixed locations and five more rotating between nine other locations.

It integrates into the estate’s access control and visitor management system, allowing access to full details of the drivers and their vehicles

On 1 September 2025, Midstream Estate launched its new speed camera system after trialling it for several weeks.

The speed cameras are aimed at changing driver behaviour, and speeding penalties are sent directly to the owners via the Midstream app or SMS.

The speeding cameras are positioned back-to-back to ensure capturing all license plates, including motorcycles.

The penalties range from R550 for driving between 40 km/h and 49 km/h and R4,400 for exceeding 70 km/h.

It raked well above R700,000 through the system within the first few weeks, with many residents hit with hefty fines for exceeding the speed limit.

Fierce opposition to Midstream Estate’s new speed cameras

Many residents who spoke to MyBroadband have voiced fierce opposition to Midstream Estate’s new speed camera system.

Residents told MyBroadband that this decision was taken unilaterally by the Homeowners Association (HOA) and that they were not consulted.

At the Midstream Estate annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, the anger related to the new cameras in the estate was on full display.

Residents voiced their unhappiness with the system, particularly the steep fines, low speed limit, high number of speed cameras, and getting fined for courier drivers.

They highlighted that most other estates have a speed limit of 40 km/h and that Midstream Estate’s speed limit is out of sync with the rest.

The steep fines and the high number of cameras were another point of contention. Residents can easily rack up huge bills through only a few infractions.

One resident pointed out that a family of four adults can easily accumulate a bill of tens of thousands of rands per month, which will financially ruin them.

A particularly contentious point was that residents are fined when a courier, delivery driver, service provider, Uber driver, or visitor exceeds the speed limit.

This does not align with usual speeding laws in South Africa, where the driver is held responsible for their behaviour.

One legal expert, who is also a Midstream resident, warned that the HOA is playing with fire and that the system will inevitably lead to problems and legal action.

The Midstream HOA countered, arguing that the rules governing traffic violations permit it to implement the speed camera system for enforcement.

It stated that its decision was lawful and supported by previous cases related to the same type of issue.

It cited a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in favour of the Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate Management.

Secrecy around the deal with the speed camera service provider

There was particular concern regarding the deal which the Midstream homeowners’ association struck with the speed camera service provider.

Some residents argued that the speed cameras were there to enrich the service provider instead of serving the residents.

Speculation suggests that the service provider gets a large slice of the revenue from the speed fines, incentivising it to maximise fines rather than road safety.

When the HOA was asked for details about the agreement with the service provider, it refused, saying it had decided this information would be confidential.

It added that if any homeowner were interested in this information, they would be required to launch a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application.

Even if this process is followed, it would not commit to releasing the information. It was clear it wanted to keep the deal secret at all costs.

This sparked a backlash among AGM attendees. One prominent Midstream Estate resident highlighted that it was unacceptable and had never happened before.

Another problem was that the money from the fines, which could have been used to improve the estate and road safety, would flow to the service provider.

One resident highlighted that there are no prominent signs alerting people to the speed limit and speed camera system.

This would be a logical step to change behaviour and improve compliance, and also align with national speed camera conventions.

The resident said it seemed as if the HOA wanted to optimise the speed fines instead of preventing people from speeding.

The HOA did not provide a satisfactory response to this question, stating that it had noted the issue and would look into it.

This article was originally written for MyBroadband and was republished with permission.