Private Car Commuting Falls in South Africa

Fewer South African workers now drive to work, while work-from-home rates edge up over the past decade.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Remote Work

Private Car Commuting Falls in South Africa

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Do you work from home more now than you did a few years ago?

The share of South African workers commuting by private vehicle fell from 33% in 2015 to 26.3% in 2025, according to the latest General Household Survey by Statistics South Africa. Over the same period, the share of workers who worked from home rose from 11.8% to 12.3%.

Why it matters

The shift reflects changing travel patterns across the country, with taxis carrying 24% of workers in 2025 and walking accounting for 22.5% of usual journeys to work. The data shows where commuters are relying on alternatives to private cars.

Buses carried 3% and trains 0.6% of workers' usual journeys to work in 2025, according to the General Household Survey. The survey does not address the causes behind these modal shifts.

The players

Statistics South Africa

The national statistics agency that conducts the General Household Survey and publishes official data on employment, travel and household conditions.

The details

Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey measured the usual mode of travel to work for employed persons. Taxi use was also recorded at the household level, with 33.5% of households reporting at least one member who used a taxi in the week before the survey.

2015: Baseline year, when 33% of workers commuted by private vehicle.
2025: Survey year, when private-vehicle commuting dropped to 26.3%.
The week before the survey: 33.5% of households reported at least one taxi user.

Remote Work Outlook

Tracked across the General Household Survey's 2015 and 2025 editions, the drop in private-car commuting alongside a small rise in home working marks a gradual rather than abrupt change. Work-from-home rates remain in the low double digits, suggesting most South African workers still travel to a workplace.

For South African commuters, the shift away from private cars may mean more reliance on taxis, which 24% of workers used in 2025. Households near taxi routes will feel these patterns most directly in daily travel costs and time.

The takeaway

Commuting habits in South Africa are shifting slowly, with private cars giving way to taxis and walking while working from home remains limited. Workers planning travel or housing should weigh these changing patterns against local transport options.