MAKHADO, LIMPOPO – At least 40 people, mostly foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Malawi, were killed when a passenger bus crashed on the N1 highway near Makhado on Sunday evening, provincial authorities confirmed on Monday.
The tragedy unfolded approximately 90 km from the Zimbabwe border when the driver of the long-distance bus apparently lost control, causing the vehicle to roll down an embankment. Among the victims was a 10-month-old baby girl.
“They are still working on the scene, but 40 bodies have already been confirmed to date,” Limpopo Transport Minister Violet Mathye told Newzroom Afrika television channel Monday morning.
The bus, travelling the roughly 1 500 km route from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) to Harare, Zimbabwe, was carrying migrant workers returning home to Zimbabwe and Malawi after working in South Africa.
Emergency responders rushed 38 survivors to local hospitals, while rescue teams continued searching for additional victims at the crash site. The extent of the survivors’ injuries has not been disclosed.
Mathye indicated that preliminary investigations suggest the crash may have resulted from driver fatigue or a mechanical failure, though a formal investigation is ongoing.
The deadly accident highlights ongoing road safety challenges across the country. South Africa has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates, with authorities attributing most accidents to speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles.
The N1 highway serves as a critical transport corridor connecting South Africa to neighboring countries, regularly used by cross-border buses carrying migrant workers and their families.
This latest tragedy adds to growing concerns about the safety of long-distance bus travel in the region, particularly for routes serving the large population of Zimbabwean and Malawian workers employed in South Africa.
Authorities have not yet released the names of victims or identified the bus operator involved in the crash.
