What to do after a car accident in South Africa
Nobody reads this before they need it, which is the problem. In the ten minutes after a collision you have to do several things that decide whether your claim is straightforward or a fight, and you have to do them while your hands are shaking. Here is the order, the legal deadline most people do not know about, and the one number your insurer cannot proceed without.
Pocket Nerd editorial · Checked 28 September 2026 · 7 min read
The part with a deadline
One thing here is a legal obligation with a clock on it, and most people do not know it exists.
If anyone was hurt or any property was damaged, you have 24 hours to report the accident to the police. That is not your insurer’s rule, it is the law, and failing to do it is a criminal offence regardless of who caused the collision.
What you get for doing it is a case number, and that is the thing your insurance claim runs on. Most insurers will not move a claim involving another vehicle without one. If you take nothing else from this page, take that: report it, get the number, write it down.
Even for a small bump
People skip this for minor damage, agree to sort it out privately, and then find the other driver has changed their mind, changed their story, or stopped answering. Without a case number and without photos you are arguing from nothing. Reporting it costs you an hour and keeps every option open.
At the scene, in order
You will not remember a list while your hands are shaking. Read it now, and the shape of it will come back to you.
- 1
Stop, and check for injuries
Leaving the scene of an accident is a criminal offence, whatever the damage. Check yourself, your passengers and everyone in the other vehicle before anything else. If anyone is hurt, call 10111 and get an ambulance moving first.
- 2
Make the scene safe
Hazards on, triangle out if you have one, and get people off the roadway if the vehicles are in traffic. Second collisions at the scene of a first one are common on South African roads.
- 3
Do not admit fault
Not at the scene, not in a message afterwards, not to be polite. You do not have the full picture yet and liability is your insurer's to work out. Apologising is human and it will be quoted back at you.
- 4
Photograph before anything moves
This is the single most useful thing you can do, and the window closes as soon as the cars are pulled aside. Wide shots showing both vehicles and their positions, the damage on each, the road and any skid marks, the other number plate, and the street or landmark.
- 5
Swap details, and take a photo of them
Name, ID number, phone number, address, vehicle registration, make and model, and their insurer if they will give it. Photograph their licence and licence disc rather than writing it down, because handwriting at an accident scene is unreliable.
- 6
Get the other witnesses
A neutral witness is worth more than anything you write down yourself. Ask for a name and number before they drive off, because they will, and they are almost impossible to find afterwards.
What to photograph, specifically
Assessors work from evidence. Ten minutes of photographs is worth more than anything you can tell them later.
Both vehicles where they came to rest, from far enough back to show the road
Each area of damage close up, on both cars
The other number plate, clearly readable
The other driver's licence and licence disc
Skid marks, debris, and anything on the road surface
Street signs, robots, or a landmark that fixes the location
The weather and light, which a wide shot captures on its own
Any damage to property that is not a vehicle, such as a wall or a gate
Then tell your insurer
Sooner than you think, and even if you are not sure you will claim.
Most policies require you to notify them within a set period, often shorter than you would expect, and notifying is not the same as claiming. If you tell them and then decide the damage is not worth a claim, nothing happens. If you do not tell them and the other driver claims against you months later, you have a problem.
Have ready when you call:
- The police case number
- Date, time and exact location
- The other driver's details and registration
- Your photographs
- Any witness names and numbers
- Who was driving, and whether they are named on your policy
That last one matters more than people expect. If the person driving was not the regular driver named on your policy, say so rather than letting it surface later, and check which excesses now apply, because an unlisted driver excess usually does.
Questions people ask
- How long do I have to report a car accident in South Africa?
- 24 hours, where damage to a person or property was caused. This is a legal requirement rather than an insurance one, and not reporting it is a criminal offence regardless of who was at fault. Reporting it is also how you get the case number your insurer will ask for.
- Do I have to report a small accident with no injuries?
- If property was damaged, yes. People skip it for minor bumps, agree to settle privately, and then find the other driver changes their story or stops answering. Without a case number and photographs you have very little to work with.
- Should I admit fault at the scene of an accident?
- No. Not at the scene, not in a message afterwards, and not out of politeness. You do not have the full picture and liability is for your insurer to determine. An apology is easily quoted back at you as an admission.
- What do I need to claim after an accident?
- The police case number, the date, time and location, the other driver's details and registration, your photographs, any witness contact details, and the name of whoever was actually driving. Notify your insurer even if you are not sure you will claim, because most policies require it within a set period.
Now go and check what you are paying
Knowing how the cover works is most of it. The rest is not overpaying for it. You choose which insurers get your details, and nobody else does.
Where this comes from
The 24 hour reporting requirement and the need for a case number: South African Government, how to report a road accident. Checked 28 September 2026. It requires reporting within 24 hours where damage to a person or property has been caused, and states that a case number is essential for insurance claims.
Everything else here is practical rather than legal. Some stations want you to report in person and some will not take an accident report by phone, so ring the station you intend to use before driving there. We are not stating that as a legal requirement because the government guidance does not.
Your policy wording sets out what your own insurer needs from you and by when. It is the authority on your claim, and some insurers have shorter notification periods than the law allows for the police report.