South Africa’s land transport sector posted mixed results in June 2025, with freight volumes contracting while passenger journeys rose sharply.
According to the latest Land Transport Survey, the volume of goods transported fell by 2.4% compared to June 2024, while freight income edged down by 0.2% over the same period.
On a quarterly basis, freight income declined by 0.7% in Q2 2025 versus Q2 2024, driven by steep drops in agriculture and forestry products (-21.1%), basic metals and fabricated metal products (-25.2%), and container transport (-5.7%).
Seasonally adjusted payloads decreased by 1.5% from Q1 to Q2, with road freight down 1.5% and rail freight down 1.2%.
In contrast, passenger journeys increased by 11.9% year-on-year in June, although income from passenger transport fell by 1.3%. Seasonally adjusted data for Q2 shows a modest 0.4% increase in passenger journeys compared to Q1, with rail journeys up 8.8% and road journeys down 2.6%.
“The freight downturn reflects broader industrial strain, especially in metals and agriculture,” said Siya Mokoena, a transport economist. “But the uptick in rail passengers suggests a modest recovery in public mobility.”
The data points to a sector under pressure from weak industrial output and shifting consumer patterns. The sharp decline in agricultural and metal freight volumes may be symptomatic of deeper supply chain disruptions and global commodity headwinds.
Container transport’s 5.7% drop could signal reduced trade throughput or inefficiencies in port operations.
Meanwhile, the rise in rail passenger journeys suggests improving public confidence in rail infrastructure, though the decline in income may reflect pricing adjustments or increased subsidization.
For South Africa’s market, the freight contraction could dampen logistics-linked GDP contributions and signal caution for investors in transport and infrastructure portfolios.
The regional impact may be felt across SADC corridors, where reduced freight volumes could disrupt supply chains and delay cross-border trade.
On the passenger side, the rail recovery offers a potential boost to urban mobility and tourism-linked sectors, especially if sustained into the year-end travel season.
This data underscores the need for targeted policy responses and infrastructure investment to stabilize freight operations while capitalizing on emerging momentum in passenger transport.
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