South Africa’s road freight industry is the engine room of the economy. The country’s roads carry approximately 88-million tonnes of freight every month, according to recent data from Statistics South Africa, accounting for more than 80% of the total freight tonnage moved across the country.
Yet while the industry continues to invest in better vehicles, technology and more efficient fleets, one factor remains largely outside the transporter’s control: infrastructure. The reality is simple. South Africa does not have a truck problem; it has an infrastructure problem.
For transport operators, the condition and efficiency of the road network have a direct impact on fleet productivity, operating costs, vehicle life and, ultimately, customer profitability.
An expensive cycle
Successful transport is built around two fundamentals: uptime and productive mileage. A truck that is moving efficiently is generating revenue. A truck navigating damaged roads or waiting for repairs is not.
The condition of the country’s regional and other outlying roads is particularly a major concern. Poor road surfaces increase wear on tyres, axles and suspension systems, while also contributing to vehicle damage and higher maintenance requirements.
The impact can be substantial. Suspension wear across the seat, cab and chassis can increase by up to 40% when vehicles operate consistently on poor roads. At the same time, the risk of accidents rises, creating additional costs and potentially taking vehicles out of service.
There is also a less obvious cost: depreciation. A commercial vehicle is an asset with a planned working life and, ideally, a valuable second life when it is sold. But excessive damage caused by poor infrastructure can change that equation. What should be considered normal wear and tear becomes excessive wear, reducing the vehicle’s resale value and increasing the investment required to return it to a saleable condition.
In some cases, repair and Certificate of Fitness costs on a four-year-old vehicle can increase from around 10% of its value to as much as 40%. That is a significant erosion of asset value – and a cost that ultimately has to be carried by the transporter.
It must be noted, however, that South Africa’s infrastructure story is not entirely negative. The national road network includes some roads that compare favourably with the best in the world, with good design, maintenance and supporting infrastructure.
The challenge becomes more apparent when moving away from these major routes. Regional roads can present a stark contrast, with deteriorating surfaces, inadequate maintenance and limited investment creating significant challenges for operators.
Infrastructure and inflation are connected
The consequences of poor infrastructure extend beyond the transport industry. When a truck completes fewer loads, spends more time idling and requires more maintenance, the cost per kilometre and the cost per delivered load increase. Driver earning potential can also be negatively affected as productive driving time is lost.
These additional costs do not disappear; they move through the supply chain. Transport is built into the price of almost everything we buy, so when roads and other infrastructure are inefficient or poorly maintained, the cost of moving goods rises. Businesses then have to absorb these higher costs or pass them on to customers, adding to inflationary pressure across the economy.
In this sense, infrastructure is not simply a government responsibility or a transport-sector concern. It is an economic issue that affects businesses and consumers across the country.
Border delays
Border posts represent another critical pressure point. Even when the road leading to the border is in good condition, unnecessary delays can undermine the productivity of the entire journey.
Border delays are a particularly significant issue. Hours spent waiting represent lost productivity, but the cost goes far beyond the driver and vehicle standing still. Trucks may continue consuming fuel to power air conditioning, refrigeration and other systems while stationary. Drivers are away from home for longer, turnaround times increase and the number of loads a vehicle can complete each month falls.
Beyond road repairs
Government and industry need to think beyond simply repairing roads. Infrastructure investment should create an environment that encourages transport operators to invest, grow their fleets and create jobs.
It should also support the adoption of smarter, cleaner and more efficient transport technology. Policy needs to keep pace with vehicle technology, including innovations such as Performance-Based Standards (PBS), improved aerodynamics, more efficient cab designs and vehicles that can achieve better fuel economy.
Vehicle regulations should also consider the practical benefits of modern truck designs. New-generation vehicles such as the DAF XG and XG Plus, for example, can offer significant fuel-consumption improvements, but operators need a regulatory environment that allows them to take full advantage of those efficiencies.
Fuel quality is another important consideration. Better regulation and consistency in diesel quality would support the adoption of cleaner and more efficient technologies, including Euro 6 vehicles.
Beyond smoother roads
The business case for infrastructure investment is therefore much bigger than smoother roads. Better roads mean fewer accidents, lower vehicle damage, reduced downtime, faster turnaround times and improved return on investment. They allow transporters to carry more loads with the same assets and make it easier for customers to plan and control their supply chains.
And in rural and outlying areas, better infrastructure has an even broader impact. Reliable roads improve access to products, services and economic opportunities for communities that can otherwise be forced to travel significant distances to meet basic needs. Infrastructure is ultimately an enabler of economic participation.
South Africa’s transport industry is ready to invest in technology, modern fleets and greater efficiency. But those investments can only deliver their full potential if the infrastructure around them keeps pace.
If we want a more competitive freight sector, stronger economic growth and lower costs for consumers, infrastructure cannot be treated as background support. It needs to be recognised for what it really is: a critical part of the transport business model – and a foundation for South Africa’s economic future.
