Big changes for speeding fines in South Africa

Speeding fines in South Africa can vary greatly depending on where they were issued, but this is likely to change under the country’s new driving laws.

While most tickets tend to start at around R250 for speeds 10km/h to 20km/h over the legal limit, there is no standardized system for speeding offences in South Africa, leading to different rates between municipalities and provinces.

This is because most of the country still handles speeding as an offence under the Criminal Procedure Act.

Under this system, speeding offences are handled on an “innocent until proven guilty” basis that allows individuals to challenge a fine in court, unless they admit guilt.

The incoming Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) is set to change this, with fines prescribed in national legislation under Schedule 3 of the Act.

Aarto will separate traffic violations into two categories, with minor cases treated as “infringements” while more severe actions will be listed as “offences.”

Infringements will be handled administratively via the Road Traffic Infringement Agency.

Offences, on the other hand, will go through the legal system.

Aarto has been in the pipeline for years but has been repeatedly delayed.

The previous nationwide launch date was scheduled for 1 December 2025, but this has since been pushed back to 1 July 2026.

The current plan is to introduce Aarto across 69 of South Africa’s major municipalities this July, after which it will be rolled out across the remaining 144 municipalities.

Aarto is already employed across the Tshwane and Johannesburg metros, though the act’s most controversial aspect – the demerit point system – has not yet been implemented.

Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones told MyBroadband that outside of these areas, admission-of-guilt fines are left to the municipal or provincial authorities.

“To the best of my knowledge, the amounts are at their discretion,” Handfield-Jones said.

South Africa’s new fine system

Aarto is intended to simplify South Africa’s traffic violation system to make it easier for motorists to check how much they will be fined.

Schedule 3 of the act defines three main road types – urban, rural, and freeways – which will have different fine amounts for anyone caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 10km/h.

Fines will start at R400 for speeds 11km/h to 12km/h over the limit in all areas.

The fine amount increases for every 2km/h past this point.

Exceeding the speed limit by up to 18km/h will incur the same penalty in all three zones, with a maximum fine of R1,000 and two demerit points on the offender’s driver’s licence.

Urban areas will then impose a stricter fine for motorists caught exceeding the speed limit by between 19km/h and 30km/h.

Driving at speeds over 30km/h in urban areas is deemed an offence where the driver can be arrested.

In rural areas, a person must exceed the speed limit by at least 40km/h to be arrested.

Across all three road types, the highest speeding fine a person can receive before it becomes a criminal offence is R3,200 and six demerit points.

Once a person receives 15 or more points on their licence, it will be suspended.

Demerit points expire at a rate of one every three months, which means it would take a year for a person to lose four points.

These are the fine amounts and demerit points that will be applied for for various speeding violations in different areas.