Truck hijackings running at 30-35 a week as freight security costs climb to 2.3% of operating costs

SAPS statistics put truck hijackings at 30-35 a week, and freight security spend has climbed from 0.3% to 2.3% of operating costs in a decade - up to 4.1% for high-value cargo.

South Africa is recording 30 to 35 truck hijackings per week according to SAPS crime statistics, Freight News reported in June 2026, as route crime forces transporters to spend ever more on protection.

Security spending has risen from 0.3% of road-freight operating costs a decade ago to 2.3% by the end of 2025, per Road Freight Association cost data cited by Freight News. Transporters of high-value cargo such as pharmaceuticals, spirits and electronics face security costs of up to 4.1% of operating costs.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has designated the N1, N2, N3, N4 and N17 as high-risk routes. The Durban-Johannesburg corridor remains a particular concern, with industry data identifying multiple hotspots for hijackings, robberies, looting, arson and fuel theft.

SAPS data cited by the RFA shows 349 truck hijackings in October-December 2025, down 15.5% from 413 a year earlier, with Gauteng accounting for 223 cases - 64% of the national total.

RFA chief executive Gavin Kelly warns official statistics understate the problem: "There are many operators (transporters) who no longer report incidents (hijackings)," he told Freight News.

Source: Freight News, 24 June 2026 - freightnews.co.za

Truck hijackings running at 30-35 a week as freight security costs climb to 2.3% of operating costs

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