According to the latest Ipsos study, high travel expenses have caused many residents of South Africa to be unable to reach work or educational institutions following a recent sharp increase in fuel prices.
This study highlights that transportation costs hinder people from accessing opportunities to improve their situation. This occurs against the backdrop of a significant rise in gasoline prices for drivers in South Africa, which accelerated at the beginning of this month, with further record increases expected in October.
Specifically, the price of domestic AI-95 gasoline rose from 25.58 to 26.92 per liter in August-September, while domestic AI-93 increased from 25.42 to 26.76 per liter. There was also an increase in the price of coastal AI-95 from 24.71 to 26.05 per liter.
The study showed that the problem of transport accessibility is already affecting attendance at work and school: 15% of respondents reported missing work, school, college, or university due to the inability to afford transport. This percentage corresponds to approximately 6.9 million people.
Natalie Otte, Country Manager at Ipsos in South Africa, noted that 'transport connects people to opportunities.' She added that when people cannot afford travel, they risk missing job opportunities, losing income, falling behind in studies, and becoming even more disconnected from economic life, making the issue of transport accessibility a serious socio-economic concern.
Ipsos findings indicate that transport accessibility issues existed even before the recent fuel price hike, despite the study being conducted before the September price adjustment. Young South Africans bear the greatest burden of excessive transport costs. A significant 20% of individuals aged 25 to 34, making up 23% of the population, missed work or school due to travel costs. This figure is higher than the 16% among the 35–49 age group and 11% among those over 50.
Otte also commented that the transition from education to employment is a difficult period for many young South Africans, and when transport becomes a barrier, people can fall into a vicious cycle that limits their ability to improve their situation.
The data demonstrates an inverse relationship between household income and absence due to transport costs. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents with zero income report absences. This figure drops to 19% for incomes between 2,500 and 4,999, stabilizes at 16% for the middle class up to 11,999, and decreases to 12% for households with monthly incomes over 12,000.
Otte emphasized that transport is often the first unavoidable monthly expense after food and housing. When fuel, taxi, and bus prices rise, households have very little scope to adjust spending. For families with limited or zero income, transport costs can become an insurmountable barrier to accessing opportunities that could improve their lives, creating a complex cycle faced by many South Africans.
In response to the situation, Rebecca Fala, a representative of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), reported that discussions are underway between the taxi association and the government regarding long-term measures to support the sustainability of the taxi industry and alleviate rising operating costs. Fala also mentioned that individual taxi associations have entered into agreements with some fuel retailers providing discounts or other forms of mitigating the impact of fuel price increases.
However, Santaco believes that broader policy interventions are necessary for a sustainable long-term solution, and they continue to engage with the government regarding the need for adequate support mechanisms for taxis and passengers. The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) accused the Minister of Transport, Barbara Crisi, of being unable to provide tangible assistance and resolve the financial difficulties in the industry. NTA representative Theo Malele stated that Crisi came into office with high expectations to solve long-standing issues of exclusion, financial hardship, and unfair treatment of the industry, but instead, operators have only received promises and speeches while the economic foundations of the industry continue to crumble.
Department of Transport representative Colleen Msibi announced on Wednesday that they will respond to inquiries in due course. Inquiries were also directed to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMPRE) and its representative Johannes Mokobane; as of publication, neither department had responded. Management expert Sandile Svana noted that the cost of fuel and energy in South Africa presents a huge problem because the government has not developed a policy to reduce these costs.
According to the Ipsos study, Free State has the highest percentage of people missing work or school due to transport costs—20%, followed by North Cape with 18% and Gauteng with 17%.
