Motorists are abandoning cars at South Africa’s biggest airports

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) revealed that there are approximately 30 abandoned cars at Cape Town International Airport, and almost 50 at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

It confirmed to our sister publication BusinessTech that these numbers have remained relatively consistent since the last update in 2025.

“The identification of potentially abandoned vehicles at ACSA airports is based on a combination of visual and time-related indicators, including excessive dust accumulation, flat or damaged tyres, visible deterioration, and unusually prolonged stays within parking facilities,” ACSA said.

“Daily monitoring and registration of vehicles within parking areas are conducted collaboratively by Landside Operations Coordinators, car park attendants, and Security personnel to ensure continuous oversight and operational control.”

ACSA stated that it has developed a new comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which aims to provide a structured, transparent, and legally compliant framework for the management of potentially abandoned vehicles across its airports.

It added that the SOP adheres to applicable legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

“The SOP will significantly strengthen ACSA’s ability to formally declare vehicles abandoned and to manage their disposal through a clear, consistent, and compliant process,” said the company.

In an interview with CapeTalk, Key Account Manager of Ground Transport at ACSA, Mpho Maluleka, explained that many cars are abandoned at South African airports because their owners choose not to return after leaving the country.

However, other vehicles are often stolen and left at the airport, letting the thieves avoid detection for a few weeks.

“We actually don’t have a time limit for vehicles to park in our space, because the longer the car is parked, the more revenue we make, so we are not that strict when it comes to parking,” said Maluleka.

What happens to abandoned vehicles

When airport staff notice an abandoned vehicle, they report it to the parking office.

The parking office forwards the car’s details to the traffic authorities, the South African Police Service, and multiple banks to determine the owner’s identity.

This also lets the office check whether the car has been linked to any criminal activity.

If the car is still being financed and has outstanding payments, the bank retains ownership rights and can take possession of the vehicle if they choose to.

In other cases, the airport authorities will contact the owner to find out whether they plan to return to South Africa.

If the owner does not intend to come back, they will discuss what will happen to the car with the airport.

However, if the vehicle owner cannot be found and the bank does not have a claim, the car will remain in its spot in the airport parking lot.

Maluleka explained that ACSA does not currently have the authority to remove or claim a vehicle as its own, regardless of how long it has been on the premises.

“As ACSA we do not have a right to possess or take this vehicle, so for now, we are still busy drafting a policy that will advise us as to where are we going to take them to, or what are we going to do with them.”

Because of this, some cars have been sitting in ACSA parking lots since 2018.

Complicating matters is the fact that some cars are not actually abandoned, as there have been cases where individuals have returned to South Africa after more than a year abroad.

These cars are usually in a poor state, with flat tyres and a battery that needs to be jump-started.

These travellers are also on the hook for massive parking bills, as one motorist was charged nearly R80,000 and had to enter a debt-repayment agreement with ACSA to have his car released.