Rows of dust-covered cars with flat tyres and fading paintwork are becoming an increasingly common sight at South Africa’s major airports.
As reported by Business Tech and according to the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), around 30 vehicles have effectively been abandoned at Cape Town International Airport, while between 40 and 50 vehicles are currently sitting unused at O.R. Tambo International Airport.
The vehicles range from dusty hatchbacks to luxury sedans, many of them left untouched for months or even years. Some have dead batteries and deflated tyres. Others have become unofficial message boards, with travellers scribbling notes into thick layers of dust.
ACSA says identifying potentially abandoned vehicles involves daily monitoring by parking attendants, security teams and operations staff. Officials look for signs such as excessive dust build-up, visible deterioration and unusually long stays in parking facilities.
But the reasons behind these abandoned cars are more complicated than they first appear.
Speaking to CapeTalk, ACSA’s Key Account Manager of Ground Transport, Mpho Maluleka, explained that some motorists leave South Africa and simply never return. In other cases, stolen vehicles are dumped at airports to avoid detection.
The issue is further complicated by travellers who legitimately leave their vehicles parked for extended periods while working or travelling abroad. Some return after more than a year away, only to face massive parking bills and vehicles that no longer start. One traveller reportedly accumulated parking fees of nearly R80,000 before negotiating a repayment agreement with ACSA.
For now, airport authorities are limited in what they can do.
ACSA says it cannot legally claim ownership of abandoned vehicles, even if they have remained parked for years. Instead, suspected abandoned cars are referred to police, traffic authorities and financial institutions to determine ownership or establish whether the vehicles are linked to criminal activity.
If a vehicle is still under finance, banks may reclaim it. If the owner cannot be traced and no criminal investigation is underway, the car often remains where it is.
ACSA says it is currently developing a formal standard operating procedure to manage unclaimed vehicles more effectively and ensure compliance with South African legislation, including POPIA regulations.
The growing number of abandoned cars also comes as South Africa’s major airports undergo significant upgrades and infrastructure investment. ACSA recently confirmed multi-billion-rand expansion and refurbishment projects at its key airport hubs, including OR Tambo and Cape Town International.
Online, South Africans have reacted with a mix of humour and frustration. Some social media users questioned why vehicles cannot simply be auctioned or impounded, while others joked that certain cars may remain parked ‘for eternity,’
For now, however, the abandoned vehicles remain part of the landscape at some of the country’s busiest travel hubs. Quietly gathering dust while authorities work through the legal grey areas surrounding ownership, liability and disposal.
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Picture: Hennie Stander / Unsplash
Source: Business Tech
Compiled by: Getaway Magazine
