21 killed in multiple-vehicle crash on South Africa’s N1 Highway
At least 21 people have died in a fatal road crash involving multiple vehicles on South Africa’s N1 highway.
Police say the accident occurred in the early hours of Monday in the Western Cape – the country’s southernmost province – involving two Toyota minibus taxis and a Suzuki SUV.
Warrant Officer Christopher Spies, police spokesperson, confirmed the incident to reporters, adding that four other people sustained serious injuries.
According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the crash happened about 380km (240 miles) east of Cape Town, between the small towns of Prince Albert and Leeu-Gamka, forcing a closure of the busy route.
The RTMC noted that the death toll may change as emergency services continue to assess the scene.”
Eighteen people were declared dead at the scene, while three others died after being taken to hospital,” Spies said.
The Western Cape crash was one of two major accidents recorded in South Africa over the past two days. On Sunday, eight people were killed in a separate crash near Ermelo in Mpumalanga Province.
Fatal road crashes remain a major challenge in South Africa. Official figures from the Transport Ministry show nearly 11,500 people died in road accidents in 2025.
In 2023, 20 people were killed and at least 60 injured when a tour bus collided head-on with a cash-in-transit truck in the northern Limpopo Province.
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