JOHANNESBURG — A deadly car crash in Nigeria involving former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and two minibus accidents in South Africa days apart killed at least 25 people, renewing attention on Africa’s road-safety situation and the high number of fatalities tied to crashes on the continent.
Road crashes and fatality rates are disproportionately high in Africa, the Associated Press reported, citing statistics from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The continent has 26 road deaths per 100,000 people, compared with a global average of around 18, while Europe’s rate is less than 10. The AP also reported that more than 300,000 people a year are killed in road crashes in Africa, even though the region has only about 3% of the world’s vehicles.
The AP said the toll is part of a wider pattern described in a 2024 World Health Organization report. The WHO report said road deaths had decreased globally but increased in Africa, which is home to some 1.5 billion people. The WHO called road accidents “a serious public health concern for African countries, with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost unnecessarily.”
One factor is the composition of road users. Africa has fewer cars than many other regions, in part because of lower affordability, and the AP said that can contribute to packed and chaotic conditions. Pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes share space with cars, buses and trucks, and the AP reported that many countries do not have separate spaces for pedestrians or bikes.
The AP reported that pedestrians account for a large share of deaths: around 40% of road deaths in Africa are pedestrians, twice as many as the global average, and almost 50% in some African countries. It also said that the WHO report found few African countries have made progress toward transport systems that cater to alternative modes of travel such as walking, cycling and motorbikes.
The Associated Press said limited public transport options can leave many travelers with few safer alternatives. It reported that the WHO said limited public transport systems give millions of Africans no choice but to travel in overloaded buses that may not be roadworthy or on motorcycle taxis. The AP also said weak road-law enforcement and low infrastructure safety ratings contribute to the problem.
For example, in South Africa, the AP reported that around 70% of commuters travel to and from work in minibus taxis, translating to more than 10 million people a day out of a population of 62 million. It said authorities often struggle to properly regulate the minibuses, ensure drivers are licensed and obey road laws, and ensure vehicles are roadworthy. The AP also reported that road-law enforcement is generally weak and that, in the WHO’s 2024 assessment, only a small percentage of Africa’s road network meets acceptable standards.
The AP said certain times of year further raise risk. It reported that the December to January holiday period is notably dangerous when large numbers of people travel on strained road systems. It added that South African authorities reported a welcome but small decrease in holiday season road deaths.
Even with that decrease, the AP reported that for the period Dec. 1, 2025, to Jan. 11, 2026, South Africa recorded 1,427 road deaths—an average of more than 30 a day.