According to the INRIX 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard, Cape Town is the sixth most congested city in the world, with drivers spending approximately 96 hours – or four days – in traffic per year.

The newly released report evaluated 942 cities worldwide and found that, despite Cape Town’s traffic levels having increased by only 2% since 2024, congestion has increased by 16% since 2023. While the traffic conditions in London, Paris and Los Angeles have improved, Cape Town’s congestion is worsening at a rapid pace, with the report noting an average speed of 17km/h when driving into Cape Town’s central business district in the morning.

Cape Town moved up three places since the 2024 study, where it placed ninth. Cities that ranked ahead of the Mother City in terms of congestion severity are Istanbul, Mexico City, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. Johannesburg ranked 29th on the list of most congested cities globally, with motorists spending an average of 59 hours in traffic annually.

The report stated: “Traffic congestion occurs when demand for roadway travel exceeds the supply of roadways. As vehicular traffic builds, drivers, freight movers and bus riders lose time and spend fuel unproductively.”

Cape Town is currently the only city in Africa in the global top 10, with its increased congestion being attributed to population growth, increasing car dependency and road demand that outweighs road supply. Besides motorists losing time, congested traffic contributes to delivery delays, inflation and environmental impacts.

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The post Cape Town Ranked Sixth Most Congested City Worldwide appeared first on CAR Magazine.

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