South Africa’s cities have once again landed on the global radar as the 2024 Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard sheds light on urban congestion patterns worldwide.

The report, which analysed traffic trends across 946 cities, highlights the economic and infrastructural challenges tied to rising congestion.

With transportation delays increasingly serving as a barometer for economic activity, the scorecard reveals which South African cities rank among the nation’s top 10 most congested, offering a snapshot of the country’s urban mobility and its impact on productivity.

According to the scorecard, Cape Town is SA’s most congested city and ninth in the global rankings. “The Impact Rank captures the aggregate influence of congestion relative to population,” the report states.

• Gauteng has three cities among SA’s top 10 congested urban areas: Johannesburg (second), Pretoria (third) and Vanderbijlpark (ninth).
• KZN has two: Durban (fourth) and Pietermaritzburg (sixth)
• So does the Eastern Cape: Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) (fifth) and East London (seventh);
• And the Free State: Bloemfontein (eighth) and Welkom (10th)

The report mentions that ‘hours lost’ reflects the impact of congestion on the typical commuter on the roadway, while ‘change from 2023’ indicates the percentage increase in traffic congestion from the previous report.

Top 10 ranking and city names:

1. Istanbul
2. New York City
3. Chicago
4. Mexico City
5. London
6. Paris
7. Jakarta
8. Los Angeles
9. Cape Town
10. Brisbane

You can read more about the Inrix report here.

Twist to the traffic tale

SA’s data, according to Inrix, shows some similarities to the findings of the TomTom Traffic Index, which evaluates cities around the world by their average travel time and congestion level. However, there are some differences.

Cape Town is also the most congested city, according to TomTom’s data, but ranks 85th on their ‘congestion world rank’. According to the TomTom index, Pretoria is more congested than Johannesburg, which ranks as the fifth most congested SA city, as opposed to second on the Inrix list.

You can read its index here.

Travel tips

The AA in a 2020 blog post suggested tips on how to avoid peak traffic.

• Don’t travel between 07:00–09:00 and 16:00–18:00.
• Plan and schedule commitments accordingly.
• Find a different route that is less congested.
• Check traffic reports before you depart.
• Invest in a GPS or app that gives live traffic updates.
• Use public transport if possible.
• Consider other modes of transport, such as a motorcycle, bicycle or scooter.
• Move closer to your place of employment.
• Work flexi-time or work from home if possible.