Transport, or transportation, is the movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. In other words, the action of transport is defined as a particular movement of an organism or thing from a point A to a point B. Modes of transport include air, land, water, cable, pipeline, and space.
Below Are The List Of Transport Services In South Africa
Trains
South Africa is home to 23,193 kilometers of railway tracks that carry 530 million passengers per year, the largest and busiest network in Africa. Most rail passengers in South Africa travel on one of the five commuter rail networks.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) owns and operates almost all passenger rail services in the country. PRASA itself has three divisions for rail services in South Africa:
- Metrorail: commuter rail services
- Shosholoza Meyl: intercity services connecting every province in South Africa
- Premier Classe: affordable luxury train running between Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban
PRASA also owns and operates train stations in South Africa through its’ own property management arm, PRASA Cres.
The four Metrorail networks are commuter rail, connecting suburban areas with urban centers. Metrorail’s networks are:
- Eastern Cape (iMpuma-Koloni in Xhosa): two separate lines. One connects Port Elizabeth with Uitenhage and the other connects East London with Berlin.
- Gauteng (eGoli in Zulu): large network connecting cities throughout Gauteng, including Germiston, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sebokeng, Soweto, and Springs.
- KwaZulu-Natal (iKwaZulu-Natali in Zulu): seven-line network connecting Cato Ridge, Durban, Kelso, kwaMashu, Pinetown, Stanger, and Umlazi.
- Western Cape (Wes-Kaap in Afrikaans): four lines centered on Cape Town. Destinations include Bellville, Malmesbury, Paarl, Simon’s Town, Stellenbosch, and Wellington.
Gauteng is also home to one private commuter rail service. The Gautrain has three lines connecting Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Pretoria, as well as Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport.
Long-distance intercity services are run by Shosholoza Meyl. In general, most routes radiate from Johannesburg. Major destinations for Shosholoza Meyl trains include Cape Town, Durban, East London, Komatipoort, Musina, and Port Elizabeth.
South Africa is also home to one luxury route between Cape Town and Pretoria: The Blue Train.
Train tickets and costs in South Africa
Fares for train journeys are set by the operator. For commuter rail, fares are generally based upon the distance traveled. Up-to-date fare information isn’t available from Metrorail, however. Expect the following ticket prices (Metrorail prices are according to GoMetro) for normal second-class travel:
Gautrain
Single (off-peak hours): R23–200
Single (peak hours): R29–200
Weekly: R269–787
Monthly: R1,085–3,179
Metrorail Eastern Cape
Single: R7–8
Weekly: R44–54
Monthly: R133–173
Metrorail Gauteng
Single: R7.50–12.50
Return: R14.50–24.50
Weekly: R46–80
Monthly: R142–252
Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal
Single: R6.50–12
Weekly: R41–78
Monthly: R123–242
Metrorail Western Cape
Single: R7.50–18
Weekly: R47–115
Monthly: R140–360
There are also first-class carriages available on Metrorail trains, referred to as MetroPlus.
Metrorail publishes their fares for all networks and lines on their website. However, they’re notorious for not publishing any service information online for years at a time. If you rely on Metrorail for your daily commute, consult a more reliable source of information such as Moving Gauteng, Cape Town Train Times, or GoMetro.
However, as with Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl rarely updates their website, which is often not online. Try contacting Shosholoza Meyl directly through their website or, better yet, by calling their reservations office directly at 086000 8888
Buses
There is no one singular entity providing bus service across South African cities; each municipality generally has its’ own bus company or companies, depending on the size of the city. Many of South Africa’s bus companies are municipally-run, while others are private.
Some of the companies offering public transportation by bus in South Africa include the following:
Bloemfontein: Interstate Bus Lines
Cape Town: Golden Arrow Bus Services, MyCiTi (bus rapid transit routes)
Durban: Aqualine, Durban People Mover, Mynah. Bus companies in Durban use a unified fare card known as Muvo; Muvo also provides information on bus fares and timetables.
George Municipality (George Munisipaliteit): Go George
Johannesburg: Metrobus, Rea Vaya (bus rapid transit routes)
Polokwane: Leeto la Polokwane
Port Elizabeth: Algoa Bus
Pretoria: A Re Yeng, PUTCO, Tshwane Bus Services
South African cities also have another kind of bus: the minibus taxi. The South African minibus taxi shares many features of the Russian marshrutka, in fact; the vehicles (generally a Toyota Quantum) are often subpar, drivers often drive aggressively, and payment is cash only. Still, minibus taxis are, by far, the most used form of public transportation in South Africa. They’re not easy to flag down if you’ve never used one before, but there are some hand signals that can help.
What minibus taxis lack in roadworthiness they make up for with cost (many fares are under R20), route diversity (Cape Town alone has well over 600 routes), frequency (you won’t wait for longer than a couple of minutes), and speed (drivers aren’t shy). Some even say that taking a minibus taxi is safer than taking the train in South African cities.
What is the main transportation in South Africa?
Different methods of transportation in South Africa include roads, railways, airports, water, and pipelines for petroleum oil. The majority of people in South Africa use informal minibus taxis as their main mode of transport.
How many transport companies are in South Africa?
There are profiles of 31 companies including major industry players such as Imperial Logistics, Super Group and Barloworld Logistics, foreign-owned companies such as Maersk and removals and storage businesses such as Biddulphs.
What is the most popular mode of transport in South Africa?
The taxi industry remains the most important part of South Africa’s public transport system. Taxis are the preferred type of road transport.
Which companies need transportation services in South Africa?
Companies That Need Transportation Services in South Africa
Illovo Sugar.
Oceana Group.
Rainbow Chicken.
Wine Farmers and Producers.
Small scale farmers.
WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd.
Raubex. .
Concor.
Is South Africa transport industry competitive?
South Africa ranks as the 3rd most competitive market in terms of logistics performance.