South Africa’s general speed limits are 60 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h on roads outside urban areas and 120 km/h on freeways. Enforcement uses fixed cameras, portable units and average speed over distance systems. Regulation 292A of the National Road Traffic Regulations prohibits devices that detect or interfere with speed measurement.
| Road type | Cars |
|---|---|
| Public road in an urban area | 60 km/h |
| Public road outside an urban area, not a freeway | 100 km/h |
| Freeway | 120 km/h |
What are the speed limits in South Africa?
Regulation 292 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 sets three general limits, and they apply to every public road unless a sign says otherwise.
- 60 km/h on every public road within an urban area.
- 100 km/h on every public road outside an urban area, other than a freeway.
- 120 km/h on every freeway.
According to Arrive Alive, the road safety information site, road traffic signs can prescribe limits lower or higher than these general limits. Goods vehicles with a gross vehicle mass over 9 tonnes, and certain combinations, have a maximum of 80 km/h.
What kinds of speed cameras does South Africa use?
South Africa uses three main kinds of speed enforcement, according to Jacaranda FM: fixed cameras, portable scanners and average speed over distance. We found no current national count, so we do not quote one.
- Fixed cameras are installed at set locations, in urban areas and on national roads.
- Portable scanners are handheld or mobile units operated by traffic officials.
- Average speed over distance uses two cameras a set distance apart and calculates your speed between them.
How does average speed over distance work?
Average speed over distance compares two time-stamped photographs of your vehicle and flags it if it covered the distance faster than the limit allows. SANRAL, the national roads agency, described the system on the N1 to Limpopo in December 2018. The rules published by Arrive Alive say the start and end points must be clearly marked, and the standard camera warning sign must carry a supplementary sign stating that average speed is measured. When you see that sign, hold the posted limit for the whole section.
Are speed camera apps legal in South Africa?
Detectors and jammers are prohibited, and we found no specific rule on apps that warn about known camera locations, so check locally. Regulation 292A says no person may operate a motor vehicle on a public road with a device fitted or affixed to it that interferes with or detects the use of a speed monitoring or measuring device. It also bans having such a device in your possession while travelling in a motor vehicle. Ghost does not detect radar. Regulation 308A separately bars holding a phone while driving, so a phone in use must be affixed to the vehicle or used through a hands-free headset. Checked on 30 October 2026.
What should visiting drivers know?
- All limits are in km/h.
- The general limit applies even where you have not seen a sign, so 60 km/h is the number to assume in an urban area.
- A long empty road outside town still has a 100 km/h general limit unless it is a freeway or signed otherwise.
- Never hold your phone at the wheel. Regulation 308A covers holding it in a hand or with any other part of the body.
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