October is Transport Month, and the question it raises is whether South Africa can keep moving reliably, not just whether it can build more.
The numbers show the strain. Stats SA reports that rail payload fell 2.7% in the second quarter of 2026, while road payload rose 5.4%. Over the same period, the Ctrack Transport & Freight Index dropped 3.3%, a sign of pressure across logistics. For businesses, that hits productivity and competitiveness. For consumers, it affects the price and availability of everyday goods.
Reform is coming, but it’s late:
At Creamer Media’s Transport: Reform and Recovery webinar, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy was candid about the scale of the task. “We can all agree that the reforms we’re introducing should have been introduced 20 years ago,” she said.
Mpho Mokwena, Head of Technical & Services at Shell Lubricants South Africa, says the conversation has to widen. “Rail, road transport and ports all play a critical role in moving our economy forward. These systems cannot be viewed in isolation because they ultimately determine how efficiently South Africa can compete.”
The hidden cost of a breakdown:
A breakdown costs more than the repair bill. For a fleet operator, it means a missed delivery, a disrupted schedule, or a truck out of service. For a producer, it complicates the trip from farm or factory to market. Multiply that across a business and the efficiency it needs to grow starts to erode.
Infrastructure investment and rail reform remain essential, but their benefits depend on the vehicles and machinery running on that network performing reliably. Recovery has to look beyond what gets built to what keeps working.
Prevention beats the fix:
That makes preventative maintenance part of the transport efficiency conversation. Spotting problems early, sticking to service schedules and using products that meet manufacturer specifications all help operators protect assets, manage costs and cut avoidable downtime.
Lubrication plays a specific role here. The right engine oil, used as the manufacturer recommends, protects engine components from wear and supports dependable performance. It won’t fix infrastructure bottlenecks, but it helps keep the vehicles businesses rely on running as intended.
Sustainability sits alongside this. “As an industry, we must continue to explore ways to reduce emissions and operate more sustainably,” says Mokwena, so that today’s transport systems can support a greener future.
It’s not just for fleets:
Everyday motorists can apply the same thinking: service your car regularly, check your oil levels, and use the correct lubricant. It’s a small habit that protects your engine and can save you from costly repairs.
This Transport Month’s theme is Building a safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable transport system. Delivering on it means looking past infrastructure to the performance and maintenance of the vehicles and machinery that move people and goods.
As Mokwena puts it: “South Africa’s transport recovery will not be defined by policy alone, but by reliability in practice.”