Road Accident Fund South Africa: Key Updates, Crisis & Reform – October 2026

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) of South Africa is once again at the centre of national debate as a wave of court rulings, legislative proposals, a new CEO appointment, and a mounting claims backlog dominate headlines in October 2026. Here is a comprehensive roundup of the most important developments affecting road accident victims, motorists, and taxpayers across the country.

1. New CEO Waseem Carrim Vows to Rebuild Trust at the RAF

In one of the most significant leadership developments in recent months, Waseem Carrim has been appointed as the new CEO of the Road Accident Fund, taking office on 1 November 2026. He will become the fifth RAF CEO in just over a year — a staggering rate of leadership turnover at an institution that is technically insolvent.

Carrim, a chartered accountant and former CEO of both the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), has pledged to tackle the RAF’s deep-rooted problems head-on. Speaking to Moneyweb, he identified five immediate priorities:

• Reforming the RAF’s financial model
• Rebuilding claims administration
• Controlling litigation costs
• Attacking fraud and corruption
• Normalising relationships with lawyers, medical professionals, and claimants

“The dysfunction at the RAF is not insurmountable,” Carrim said. “I think there are three things that make me believe the situation can be turned around: a strong and supportive transport minister, an interim board led by very capable individuals, and a five-year mandate to turn things around.”

Carrim also expressed support for the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) Bill, which would introduce a no-fault compensation system and replace lump-sum payouts with structured, regular payments — a move widely seen as essential to the RAF’s long-term sustainability.

“Everyone feels that they are not comfortable lodging claims with the RAF, and it is often done through the legal process. That low trust in the organisation has led to a scenario where everything must be litigated.” — Waseem Carrim

2. RAF Faces Surge of Nearly 160,000 Claims After SCA Ruling

The RAF is bracing for a massive influx of claims following a landmark Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment on 30 April 2026, which declared the 2022 RAF 1 Form regime unlawful and reinstated the original 2008 version.

The ruling found that the RAF had unlawfully introduced stricter documentation requirements at the point of claim lodgement — requirements that effectively excluded tens of thousands of valid claimants from the system. The SCA confirmed that the Minister of Transport’s approval of the revised form was also unlawful, as the required public participation process had not taken place.

Key figures presented to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport on 11 August 2026:

• By 1 July 2026, the RAF had already received 62,643 claims in the post-judgment stream
• The RAF projected a total of 159,591 claims by the 30 September 2026 deadline
• Applying the RAF’s average payout of R283,595 per claim, the potential financial exposure could reach approximately R45.3 billion
• Claims were concentrated in Pretoria (29,958), Johannesburg (17,904), Durban (5,672), East London (5,016), and Cape Town (4,093)

Claimants whose submissions were previously rejected under the 2022 regime were given the opportunity to resubmit using the 2008 RAF 1 Form by 30 September 2026, with their claims treated as having been lodged on the original submission date — protecting them from prescription.

3. RAF’s Financial Crisis: R22 Billion Payment Queue and Growing Liabilities

The RAF’s financial position remains dire. According to figures presented to Parliament, the Fund:

• Receives more than R50 billion per year from taxpayers, primarily through a fuel levy of R2.25 per litre
• Has total liabilities exceeding R400 billion
• Owed claimants R22.18 billion on already-settled but unpaid claims as of end-June 2026 — up R3.62 billion in just three months
• Paid out R8.95 billion across 80,665 claims in Q1 of the 2026/27 financial year (April–June)
• Receives as little as R4 billion per month in fuel levy income, while its payment queue can exceed R20 billion

The largest payment category was loss of earnings at R4.831 billion, followed by plaintiff legal costs at R2.018 billion and general damages at R1.358 billion.

4. Proposed “Settlement Hub” to Clear the Claims Backlog

The Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims (Aprav) has proposed a bold solution to the RAF’s claims crisis: the creation of a national Settlement Hub.

Aprav vice chair Pieter de Bruyn, speaking at the National Press Club in Pretoria, outlined how the hub would work:

• Sort claims into those ready to settle, those needing more information, and those genuinely disputed
• Centralise documentation — bringing all legal, medical, and financial evidence into a single complete file
• Put decision-makers in the room — experienced claims professionals with real authority to settle
• Settle what is agreed — pay undisputed portions immediately and send only genuine disputes to court
• Track every case until the claimant is actually paid

The proposal would require approximately R16 billion from National Treasury to clear the backlog of around 100,000 claims. De Bruyn stressed this is “not really a bailout” — it is about paying claimants what they were owed years ago.

Aprav noted that less than 5% of RAF claims are genuinely in dispute, yet approximately 90% go to court — resulting in an accumulated legal bill of R6 billion. “That bill was caused by not executing the act and the RAF not doing its work,” said De Bruyn.

DA MP Patrick Atkinson has separately proposed a similar dedicated settlement hub to Parliament, calling for a streamlined mechanism to process RAF claims more efficiently.

5. RAF Act Amendments on the Table: Foreign Nationals and Sustainability

On 6 October 2026, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport heard that amendments to the RAF Act are being finalised and will soon be tabled before the committee.

The Department of Transport’s acting Director-General Mokonyama Mathabatha confirmed that four key areas are under review:

1. Capped claims
2. Rehabilitation
3. Mediation and conciliation
4. Claims by foreign nationals

“All these issues are in the amendment Act that we are finalising. The Act in its current form makes the scheme not sustainable,” Mathabatha told the committee.

The foreign nationals issue follows a Constitutional Court ruling in September 2026 that rejected the RAF’s attempts to exclude undocumented foreign nationals from claiming compensation. Parliament is now considering legislative amendments to address this, with some committee members calling for a change to ensure benefits primarily serve South African citizens.

6. Courts Continue to Hold the RAF Accountable

South African courts have continued to deliver significant rulings against the RAF in recent months:

• August 2026: The Johannesburg High Court dismissed the RAF’s attempt to rescind a R5.5 million compensation award, finding that the RAF could not claim “absence” from the original hearing when its representative had in fact been present. The court reinforced that rescission is not an appeal mechanism.
• January 2026: In Cele v Road Accident Fund, a court dismissed a special plea by the RAF that attempted to benefit from its own delays in processing claims.
• January 2026: The RAF officially increased the statutory cap for loss of income and loss of support claims as of 31 January 2026.

7. Fuel Levy Under Scrutiny — and the Future Funding Model

With South African fuel prices at record highs, the RAF fuel levy — currently R2.25 per litre — has come under increasing public scrutiny. Some civil society groups have called for it to be scrapped entirely.

However, incoming CEO Waseem Carrim and industry experts caution against this. Carrim noted: “I don’t think in the short term you could scrap the fuel levy.”

Aprav’s De Bruyn suggested the future funding model will likely be a hybrid model comprising:

• The existing RAF fuel levy
• An optional insurance top-up for those wanting additional benefits
• Private sector involvement, including funders willing to purchase portions of the RAF’s liabilities

De Bruyn dismissed fears that the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) would significantly erode the fuel levy base: “This is Africa, not Europe. The uptake of EVs in South Africa will remain miniscule and in no way a significant risk to the fuel levy.”

What This Means for Road Accident Victims in South Africa

If you or a loved one has been injured in a road accident in South Africa, here is what you need to know right now:

• If your claim was previously rejected under the 2022 RAF 1 Form regime, the SCA ruling may have given you the right to resubmit. The 30 September 2026 deadline has now passed — consult an attorney urgently if you have not yet acted.
• Payment delays remain severe. The RAF’s payment queue stood at R22.18 billion at the end of June 2026. Claimants should track their claims via the RAF’s official channels or WhatsApp line (071 605 4707).
• Legal representation matters. Given the complexity of RAF claims and the Fund’s history of litigation, engaging a qualified attorney remains advisable for most claimants.
• Community outreach continues. The RAF has been conducting outreach events across South Africa, including in Bloemfontein (July 2026) and Kokstad (August 2026), where residents can register claims, submit documents, and check claim status.

Conclusion: A Fund at a Crossroads

The Road Accident Fund stands at a critical juncture. With a new CEO taking the helm in November, sweeping legislative amendments on the horizon, a flood of resubmitted claims to process, and a payment queue that continues to grow, the pressure on the RAF — and on South Africa’s road accident victims — has never been greater.

The coming months will be decisive. Whether Waseem Carrim can deliver on his promises, whether Parliament will pass meaningful reforms, and whether the proposed Settlement Hub gains traction will determine whether the RAF can finally begin to fulfil its mandate: providing fair and timely compensation to those injured on South Africa’s roads.

Stay updated on the latest Road Accident Fund news by bookmarking this page. If you need assistance with a RAF claim, consult a qualified South African attorney.