As of 1 December 2025, South Africans can no longer pay using their magnetic swipe cards at toll booths.
Instead, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has confirmed that it is rolling out tap-to-pay as a more efficient alternative.
This contactless technology is already a popular form of payment across South Africa and has largely replaced card swipes wherever it is supported.
SANRAL has therefore been planning this shift for several months to streamline the payment process at its toll booths.
It told MyBroadband in September 2025 that all of its toll booths would support tap-to-pay before the end of the year.
It has since initiated a phased rollout period of tap-to-pay terminals at its 30 self-managed toll plazas over the past two months.
Other toll plazas have already supported tap-to-pay since last year.
Reducing fraud
This move by SANRAL follows experts highlighting how magnetic swipe payments make toll plazas hotspots for fraud.
“With over R3 billion lost to fraud, tollgates have become a key target for criminals using skimming devices to steal banking details,” Richard Frost, Head of Technology and Innovation at Armata Cyber Security, previously told TopAuto.
These skimming devices can capture card information, which is then used by criminals to make fraudulent transactions.
Not only does this have a major impact on the victim, but banks also face significant challenges in verifying when fraud has taken place and refunding their clients.
“Often, the scammers – who find it very easy to copy your card in the few seconds it’s sitting in the tollgate booth – don’t extract huge amounts of money when they gain access to your card,” said Frost.
“They make tiny transactions that often go unnoticed until it’s too late.”
Frost said that tap-to-pay is a superior option because no one else handles your card or device.
“It’s also far more secure than using cash, which can be easily lost or stolen,” he added.
“Stick to tap-and-go or tag payments at tollgates to ensure your finances are protected.”
Loading ...
