Former RAF CEO paid R9.8 million, a warning for Chery owners, and a new Chinese car brand lands in South Africa

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Former RAF CEO paid R9.8 million in South Africa

The former CEO of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), Collins Letsoalo, was paid R9.8 million in the 2025 financial year, including a bonus of nearly R3 million.

This comes after the former CEO was suspended from the state-owned entity and refused to appear before an official parliamentary inquiry – something he could potentially face criminal charges over.

The RAF, which is funded by fuel taxes, justified Letsoalo’s salary by claiming it was market-related and kept at levels that would assist in retaining and attracting key leadership skills.

New Chinese car brand lands in South Africa

The first batch of Lepas L4 SUVs recently landed at the Car Terminal at the port in Durban.

Lepas is a new Chinese car brand under the Chery umbrella, which is scheduled to launch in South Africa next month.

The L4 is one of two SUVs lined up for the brand’s debut alongside the larger L8, with the mid-range L6 set to appear at a later date.

Major warning for Chery owners in South Africa

The Automobile Association (AA) has raised concerns about the safety of the Chery Tiggo 7 SUV, following its disappointing crash test results.

The entry-level Tiggo 7 received a two-star adult occupant safety rating and a three-star child occupant rating due to a lack of adult side-head protection, an insubstantial footwell and bodyshell, and sub-par electronic stability control and seat belt reminders.

The AA also warned of a misleading industry practice where carmakers advertise their products using NCAP ratings that aren’t relevant to South Africa, such as the Euro NCAP.

Disruption warning for one of South Africa’s biggest airports

Major upgrades planned for Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) are set to begin next month, though they may have a significant impact on passengers and cause disruptions.

The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) announced a more than R9 billion investment into South Africa’s record-breaking airport, following on the upgrades that are underway at other airports across the country.

ACSA admitted that passenger movement will be disrupted once construction begins, especially once work on the new domestic arrivals area commences in March and continues through to at least 2029.

New concern over Gautrain expansion in South Africa

Stellenbosch University emeritus professor Jan Havenga has warned that the plan to greatly extend the Gautrain network will fail to address one of the country’s biggest problems – transport accessibility.

Gauteng’s rail service is set to receive a R120-billion expansion that will add 150km of track to the existing 80km line, almost tripling its coverage.

However, Havenga raised concerns that the expansion overlooks townships and focuses on areas that are already covered by the Metrorail service.