South Africa’s Road Accident Fund (RAF) is under intense scrutiny — and for good reason.

In a recent briefing to Parliament, the RAF revealed that it has made over 72,000 calls in an effort to trace unrepresented claimants and reduce its massive backlog of unpaid claims. Alarmingly, at least half of these claimants could not be reached using the contact details on record.

This is not just an administrative challenge.
It is a systemic access-to-justice issue.

The reality behind the numbers

According to the RAF:

• 71,840 calls were made to unrepresented claimants
• 921 calls were made to attorneys’ offices, many representing multiple claimants
• A significant portion of claimants remain uncontactable
• Litigation is still being pursued, despite attempts at mediation and settlement

The RAF has openly acknowledged capacity constraints, legal bottlenecks, and the cost burden of prolonged litigation. While mediation is encouraged, the fund concedes that processing delays continue to fuel disputes and court action.

What this means for claimants

For injured claimants — many of whom rely on RAF payouts for medical care, rehabilitation, and income replacement — delays are devastating. A claim that takes years to resolve often leaves families financially exposed long before settlement is reached.

For unrepresented claimants, the situation is even worse:

• Outdated contact details
• Limited understanding of the process
• No buffer against delays in settlement

Justice delayed is not just justice denied — it is financial distress multiplied.

What this means for attorneys

RAF attorneys sit at the centre of this pressure:

• Carrying disbursements for years
• Funding medical reports, counsel, and expert witnesses
• Managing client expectations while waiting on an overburdened system

When RAF payments stall, cash flow stalls — and this directly impacts an attorney’s ability to continue servicing claimants effectively.

A practical solution in an imperfect system

While institutional reform is essential, claimants and attorneys cannot afford to wait for systems to catch up.

This is where responsible bridging finance plays a crucial role:

• RAF claim advances provide immediate relief to claimants awaiting settlement
• Attorney working capital facilities allow firms to continue running cases without compromising quality or speed
• Reduced financial pressure enables earlier settlement engagement, rather than forced litigation driven by cash constraints

Bridging finance does not replace the RAF.

It stabilises lives and practices while the system catches up.

Clearing the backlog requires more than calls

The RAF’s effort to contact over 70,000 claimants is a step forward — but clearing the backlog will require:

• Faster processing capacity
• Better claimant data management
• Realistic alternatives that acknowledge today’s delays, not tomorrow’s promises

Until then, interim funding solutions remain a critical part of ensuring that injured South Africans and the attorneys who represent them are not financially broken by procedural delays.

The backlog is real. The need is immediate. And the solution must be practical

Source:

This article references reporting from: https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/01/30/raf-calls-more-than-70k-claimants-to-clear-backlog-of-unpaid-claims