There has been a significant increase in e-tag adoption since the shutdown of Gauteng’s open road e-toll gantry system.
This is according to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which recently informed MyBroadband that its total active units had reached 1.8 million.
It also provided its monthly sales figures for the period between January 2022 and July 2024, which showed that in 2022, the monthly activations for new e-tags were below 10,000.
By 2023 and into early 2024, this figure had grown to around 12,000, and in July 2024, the monthly activation number reached 17,500.
This represents a 46% increase in just three months.
Following this, the activation numbers decreased somewhat to 15,000 in September 2024 but saw a massive increase to 25,000 in November 2024.
The November 2024 numbers are also double the number of activations for the same month the previous year.
This growth has continued into 2025, with the July 2025 numbers reaching a peak of 30,000 e-tag activations.
Notably, Gauteng’s e-tolls were disconnected from the e-tag billing system around April 2024, which means almost directly after this, the e-tag activation numbers saw considerable growth.
Specifically, the three months after the e-toll shutdown saw significant increases, with a rough estimate showing that 2024’s total uptake of e-tags after the shutdown was 144,500, an increase of 34% from the approximately 108,000 in 2023.
2025’s year-on-year figures also show that uptake numbers have remained well above double that of the equivalent period from 2022 and 2023.
Sanral’s data shows that almost 140,000 tags have been issued in the last six months.
Resurgence of e-tags
E-tags are small electronic devices fitted to vehicles that allow automatic electronic toll collection using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
This essentially allows drivers with an e-tag to drive slowly through a toll lane and open the boom automatically if they have credit on their account.
Sanral has noted that e-tags remain the easiest and most efficient method of offering contactless payment and has rolled out the feature on all lanes at regular toll plazas.
The intended e-toll system was shut down after a lengthy civil disobedience campaign and rising debts, resulting in all e-tags being disconnected from the e-tolling system.
Since this disconnect, drivers and businesses have begun to see the value and convenience the e-tags offer now that they won’t get charged for simply using the roads.
E-tags are supported on all mainline toll gates on the N1, N2, N3, and N4 highways, and some plazas even have dedicated lanes for e-tag users.
Should e-tag uptake continue to increase, more lanes could be dedicated to such drivers and their cars.
“The more tags in use, the better the plazas can process traffic during peak periods and the more lanes can be dedicated to tags,” Sanral said.
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