Amanda Rogaly
When someone is injured or loses a loved one in a road accident, they expect the Road Accident Fund (RAF) process to deliver fair, efficient compensation.
Unfortunately, newly published findings from Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA)suggest that the real problem often begins long before a matter reaches court.
SCOPA’s draft RAF inquiry report concludes that failures to investigate, settle and defend claims timeously have contributed substantially to the billions of rands spent on legal costs.
According to the draft findings, R8,63 billion was recorded against the 20 largest plaintiff law firms between April 2020 and December 2025. However, this figure was not made up only of attorneys’ fees. It also included expert expenses, interest, sheriff fees and the costs of enforcing payments.
SCOPA reportedly found that default judgments for costs and fees totalled R15,7 billion over four years. The average cost of settling a claim also increased from R114,008 in 2018/19 to R348,100 in 2024/25.
These are draft parliamentary findings, not a final report. However, they reveal something that every South African road user needs to understand: A RAF claim cannot simply be submitted and forgotten.
This means that every claim requires active management. Documents must be collected, medical and expert reports must be obtained, deadlines must be monitored, evidence must be properly prepared, communication must be followed up and every file must have a clear next step.
When this does not happen, claims can stall for years, costs increase, court dates are missed and already vulnerable claimants are forced to carry even more stress.
RoadCover manages qualifying RAF claims on behalf of its members from start to finish.
We do not merely submit forms and wait. We manage the documents, evidence, experts, legal process, deadlines and communication required to move the claim forward.
RoadCover is not an insurer; it is a specialist claims-management service designed to ensure that members have someone actively taking care of the entire RAF journey after an accident.
Most importantly, no legal fees or expenses are deducted from a successful RoadCover member’s settlement.
The claimant receives 100% of their RAF settlement.
This matters because RAF compensation is intended to help an injured person or bereaved family rebuild their lives. It may need to replace lost income, cover medical costs or support children who have lost a breadwinner.
That money should reach the person for whom it was intended.
Do not wait until after an accident to discover how complicated the RAF process can be. RoadCover membership gives you access to an experienced team that understands the system and manages the work on your behalf when you need it most.
A RAF claim involves more than paperwork. It requires someone to keep track of every document, deadline and next step throughout the process.
No fees. No deductions. 100% of the settlement is yours.
The SCOPA findings discussed in this article form part of a draft parliamentary report and may change before the report is finalised.