At least 21 people died in a horror N1 taxi crash near Leeu Gamka in the Western Cape on Sunday night, after two minibus taxis and an SUV collided head-on in one of the country’s deadliest crashes this year.
According to the Western Cape Government, the crash happened at around 23:30 on Sunday between Prince Albert and Leeu Gamka, roughly 380 kilometres from Cape Town.
Two Toyota Quantum minibus taxis collided head-on before a Suzuki Brezza SUV crashed into the wreckage.
Eighteen occupants were declared dead at the scene, while three more died after being taken to hospital, bringing the confirmed death toll to 21. Several other passengers sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital care.
“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic collision.”
— Isaac Sileku, Western Cape Minister of Mobility
“Several other passengers have also sustained serious injuries, and we wish them strength as they receive the care they need.”
— Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness
What caused the N1 crash near Leeu Gamka?
The cause of the collision has not yet been established and forms part of a formal investigation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation. The South African Police Service has opened a culpable homicide docket, provincial spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies confirmed.
The N1 was closed in both directions between Prince Albert and Beaufort West while emergency services worked at the scene. Motorists were advised to detour via the R407 and N12 through Beaufort West, adding around 200 kilometres to the journey. Provincial traffic officers and fire personnel remained on site through the night as recovery operations continued.
A history of deadly crashes on this stretch of the N1
This stretch of the N1, between Laingsburg and Beaufort West, has long been known among road safety officials as a death stretch, having claimed dozens of lives over the years. In May 2025, three bus passengers were killed in a separate collision on the same route, in a crash suspected to have involved a driver falling asleep at the wheel.
Western Cape road safety data has shown that most crashes on the N1 occur between 22:00 and 01:00, the same window in which Sunday’s collision took place.
Minibus taxis, which remain the primary form of long-distance public transport for many South Africans, are involved in a disproportionate share of the country’s fatal crashes.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation is expected to release further findings once crash investigators have completed their assessment of the scene. Families of those killed are being supported as formal identification of the victims continues.
