Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has revealed details of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) payouts, as the department reviews the legislative framework amid concerns about payments to undocumented foreigners. Creecy provided the figures in response to written parliamentary questions from ActionSA MP Alan Beesley. The minister said RAF paid out more than R7.3 billion to foreign nationals across 24 520 claims during the past five financial years.
She further revealed that individual payouts of up to R16.7 million were reached. This revealed fluctuations in both the monetary value and the number of claims settled for foreign nationals between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 financial years. According to the minister’s response, the 2022-23 financial year saw the highest total payout at R1.97 billion across 5 610 claims.
Meanwhile, the 2021-22 period recorded the largest number of claims at 7 487, totalling R2.11 billion. The most recent figures for 2024-25 show a decline, with R546.55 million paid out across 1 817 claims. The highest individual claim paid to a foreign national reached R16.7 million in the 2022-23 financial year.
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However, Creecy noted a limitation in the available data. “The Road Accident Fund claims database does not specify the nationality of individual claimants, but distinguishes between those who are South African citizens and those who are not,” she stated.
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