Par Laddy Tshibangu Tshilonde
South African public transport is appalling under-integrated with billions lost in investments, with networks like MyCiTi and Rea Vaya still only serving a minority of passengers in cities.
The extremely fractured transport infrastructure of the nation, which conveys over 16 million travelers on a daily basis, is characterized by high operating costs, government subsidization, and weak integration with informal modes such as the minibus taxi, which transport over 60% of daily passenger journeys.
Without fare system integration, planning coordination, and political will over the long run, the sector will worsen inequality and halt economic mobility.
Chris Campbell, CEO of CESA, argues that while South Africa borrowed lessons from global models like Brazil’s Curitiba and Peru’s Lima Metro Line 2, the country’s national implementation lacks the institutional stability and intergovernmental coordination that would allow for lasting impacts.
“We have seen promising starts, but without coordinated planning of routes, control of informal transport, and integrated ticketing, these systems are not fully used and economically unsustainable,” Campbell said.
MyCiTi and Rea Vaya systems, for example, every year have received over R1.5 billion total subsidies, yet continue to operate less than full capacity since they employ suboptimal modal integration and lack extensive coverage of the network.
Comparing to this, Curitiba’s BRT system has over 2 million passengers a day with hardly any subsidy since it employs great integration with the feeder routes and land-use planning.
Campbell stressed that successful international projects share something in common: close pre-feasibility studies, demand-driven planning, and political stability to carry through projects to completion.
“We cannot overemphasize the importance of continuity. With every change in leadership, the clock begins to tick all over again, and that is a cost we can no longer afford,” he added.
Experts validate the effect on South Africa’s urban economy is unrelenting. “Transport is not about movement it’s about access to jobs, education, and services,” transport economist Thandi Maseko “When systems fail to connect people affordably and reliably, the ripple effects are felt across productivity, household income, and even public health.”
Lack of integration of informal and formal transport also leads to inefficiencies and safety risks. Minibus taxis, even though they are mandatory, are mostly outside regulatory frameworks, yielding spasmodic service quality and perpetual confrontation with the formal sector. “Engaging informal operators in the planning process is not an option it’s imperative,” Maseko added.
For South African consumers, the stakes are high. An effective integrated transport system would unlock billions of economic values through better road traffic flow, increased labor mobility, and increased investor confidence in urban infrastructure.
In contrast, additional fragmentation will cement spatial disadvantage and undermine national overall development objectives.
CESA, which has over 580 engineering firms and nearly 19,000 members, is calling for a national transportation network that will involve coordination nationally, provincially, and municipally.
“We need to consider this vision, but what we need to do more than anything is make it happen,” Campbell stated. “Today’s decisions will impact the way we will travel, live, and develop in decades to come.”
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