Limpopo's road safety initiative embarks on ambitious strategy to halve fatalities by 2030

Limpopo has taken a significant stride towards safer roads with the official transfer of the Limpopo Road Safety Programme (LRSP) custodianship to the Office of the Premier and the Department of Transport and Community Safety. This momentous event, known as the Custodianship 2026, celebrated the programme's successes and heralded a new five-year strategy aimed at halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

The initiative, largely funded by The Anglo American Foundation in partnership with the Impact Catalyst, stands as a testament to collaborative efforts among government, the business sector, and local communities to establish safer transport systems across the province.

“Our participation in this programme was guided by the noble endeavour of forming continuous partnerships that are at the centre of this government’s developmental agenda,” said Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye. “We view this partnership and many others as a fundamental step towards building the society we have always envisioned.”

Ambitious targets driven by data

The next phase of the LRSP seeks to harness years of evidence-based planning to drive measurable impact. It aligns with the global goal set by the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, aiming to halve road fatalities within the province.

Among the highlighted projects is the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), which meticulously evaluates road safety designs and risks for all users. A substantial analysis of over 1,500km of high-risk roads in Limpopo uncovered that many roads fell below a 3-star safety rating for vehicle occupants.

This crucial data now informs provincial planning and ensures that interventions, such as infrastructure upgrades and improvements in signage and enforcement measures, are implemented where they are most needed to save lives. “This data allows us to target our interventions where they matter most,” explained Dr. Jonathan James, Programme Manager at the Impact Catalyst. “By integrating data from multiple departments, the province can act with greater transparency, accountability, and precision.”

Turning strategy into life-saving action

The tangible success of the LRSP is reflected across various pillars of the Safe System Approach, yielding practical, life-saving outcomes:

• Stronger emergency response: Over 1,100 Emergency Care Officers (ECOs) have been trained in standardised clinical practices, significantly improving pre-hospital emergency care across Limpopo.
• Safer pupils, safer drivers: The VIA school safety programme has benefited over 3,000 pupils in 22 schools. Additionally, the Youth Drivers’ Project has facilitated 112 pupils to obtain learner’s licences and 26 to become fully licensed drivers, with another 86 set to complete this process by January 2026.
• Institutional strengthening: The province has trained 89 officials in the Safe System Approach, thus enhancing long-term capacity for evidence-led road safety management.

A model built for collaboration and scale

The LRSP has flourished through close collaboration with various provincial departments, including Transport and Community Safety, Health, Education, Public Works, and Social Development, as well as partnerships with technical entities such as the CSIR and the University of Johannesburg, and local municipalities like Musina and Blouberg.

“Our efforts go beyond strategies and data,” remarked Dr. Mari Romijn, Head of Capable State at the Impact Catalyst. “We’re building the systems, skills, and partnerships that make safer roads everyone’s responsibility. When communities, learners, and officials collaborate, real change occurs.”

With custodianship now firmly in the hands of the Department of Transport and Community Safety, Limpopo is poised to expand and sustain these initiatives, setting a new, people-focused benchmark for road safety across South Africa. “The success here shows that when strategy, data, skills, and community engagement converge, measurable outcomes follow,” Dr. James added. “This programme is more than a project; it’s a blueprint for enduring change.”

Mathye said while receiving the Limpopo Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan, “We are also committing that it will be fully implemented, as we have successfully done with previous initiatives. This is the sole means through which we can achieve a road fatality-free society, and we must elevate this partnership across the province so that its effects resonate far and wide.”

IOS