Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) reported that there are approximately 30 abandoned cars at Cape Town International Airport, and between 40 and 50 at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
In May 2026, ACSA told BusinessTech that these numbers have remained relatively consistent since the last update in 2025.
“The identification of potentially abandoned vehicles at ACSA airports is based on a combination of visual and time-related indicators, including excessive dust accumulation, flat or damaged tyres, visible deterioration, and unusually prolonged stays within parking facilities,” ACSA said.
“Daily monitoring and registration of vehicles within parking areas are conducted collaboratively by Landside Operations Coordinators, car park attendants, and Security personnel to ensure continuous oversight and operational control.”
ACSA said that it has completed the development of a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
This procedure is intended to provide a structured, transparent, and legally compliant framework for the management of unclaimed and potentially abandoned vehicles across the airport network, while ensuring adherence to applicable legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
“The SOP will significantly strengthen ACSA’s ability to formally declare vehicles abandoned and to manage their disposal through a clear, consistent, and compliant process,” said ACSA.
Key Account Manager of Ground Transport at ACSA, Mpho Maluleka, told CapeTalk that many abandoned cars end up at airports because their owners decide not to return to South Africa after leaving the country.
Additionally, some vehicles are stolen and left at the airport, allowing the thieves to avoid detection for a few weeks.
“We actually don’t have a time limit for vehicles to park in our space, because the longer the car is parked, the more revenue we make, so we are not that strict when it comes to parking,” said Maluleka.
What is being done
If airport employees spot an abandoned vehicle, they report it to the parking office.
The parking office then forwards the vehicle’s details to the South African Police, traffic authorities, and several banks to determine the owner’s identity and whereabouts, or to check if the car is linked to any criminal activity.
If the car is still being financed and has outstanding payments, the bank retains ownership rights and can take possession of the vehicle if they choose to.
In other situations, the airport authorities may contact the owner to find out whether they plan to return to South Africa.
If the owner does not intend to come back, they will discuss the future of the car with the airport.
If the owner cannot be located and the bank does not have a claim to the vehicle, and if the authorities are now interested in the car, it will remain in its spot at the airport.
Maluleka explained that ACSA does not currently have the authority to remove or claim a vehicle as its own, regardless of how long it has been on the premises.
“As ACSA we do not have a right to possess or take this vehicle, so for now, we are still busy drafting a policy that will advise us as to where are we going to take them to, or what are we going to do with them,” said Maluleka.
As a result, he mentioned that there have been cars left unmoved at ACSA airports since as far back as 2018.
This situation is complicated because not all the vehicles are truly abandoned. Maluleka pointed out that there have been cases where a car has remained in a parking garage for over a year before the owner returned to the country.
Therefore, not every dust-covered, flat-tired vehicle you see at the airport is abandoned.
This comes with its own challenges, as the owner may need assistance with charging the battery or jump-starting the vehicle, as well as inflating the tyres.
They often face a substantial parking ticket bill, which can sometimes be unaffordable.
One individual, for instance, was charged nearly R80,000, according to Maluleka, and had to enter into a debt-repayment agreement with ACSA to have his car released.
