A new hijacking trend, petrol prices recovering, and a South African airport loses its licence

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

New hijacking trend in South Africa

New vehicle crime data shows that hijackings and incidents of theft in South Africa are taking place earlier in the week.

This is according to Tracker’s latest vehicle crime statistics, which show that even though vehicles can be stolen or hijacked on any day of the week, nationwide trends have emerged.

The company’s data from the first half of 2025 showed that most hijackings were reported on Thursdays between 16:00 and 21:00, but in the second half of the year, the trend shifted, with crime statistics for July to December 2025 showing that hijackings instead peaked on Tuesdays.

South African airport loses its licence

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has revoked the Vereeniging Airport’s licence due to inadequate fencing and stolen runway approach lights.

This is according to the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), which blames the Sedibeng District Municipality for failing to maintain the airport premises.

Airport licences are renewed annually and are subject to stringent audits and inspections, with failure to meet relevant requirements leading to fines or even closure.

Petrol prices recovering in South Africa

At the end of the third full week of April, data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) showed that South Africa’s motorists can expect a price hike in May, though not as much as was feared earlier in the month.

The CEF’s report revealed that under-recoveries for petrol and diesel have trended lower throughout the month.

Petrol is showing an under-recovery of between R1.82 and R2.14 per litre, a 73% decrease, while diesel shows an under-recovery of around R5.93 per litre, down more than 66% since the start of the month.

New driving laws coming to South Africa

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency has outlined its goals for the year, which include the national rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act.

This rollout will begin in two months, with the goal of completing the system’s introduction at a national level by the end of the third quarter of the financial year – December 2026.

The rollout is expected to include two phases, with the first beginning in July 2026.

Major comeback for South Africa’s biggest transport company

Transnet is set to see a turnaround in 2026, with the utility planning to allow private operators to use its rail network.

This improvement is also supported by improvements in Transnet’s performance, with South Africa’s ports stabilising and rail volumes growing.

However, the utility faces an uphill battle to reform, as in prior years its financial and infrastructure issues effectively rendered it inoperable.