September 23, 2025 • 12 mins
Relebogile Mabotja speaks to Michael Pashut the Owner of the Online Platform CHANGE CARS and host of ALL THINGS MOTORING unpacking the World’s Best Drivers Index 2025 which confirms what many South Africans suspect, that our roads are among the riskiest in the world. Out of 56 countries, South Africa ranks the 4th riskiest country to drive in.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seven o two the Car Feature.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Fifteen minutes to three o'clock time for the Car Feature,
and today we're joined by Michael Pashutu is owner of
the online platform Change Cars and host of all Things
Motoring on the DStv channel one eighty nine, chatting South
Africa being ranked the fourth most challenging country to drive
in and I saw an a year from all of
(00:24):
you in terms of your experiences, as if you think
that South Africa has been ranked correctly as the fourth
most challenging country to drive in audible ONEBA three oh
seven oh two and the WhatsApp line O seven to
seven oh two one seven oh two.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Michael, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for
joining us.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Thank you for the opportunity. And I love the way
you pronounced my surname perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh my goodness, I'm so relieved.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I of all people, it's brilliant. Anything that always makes
me laugh is the way the surname gets mispronounced at
CUC spots on first time. Oh really, probably on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Shout out to my producer for making shis trained in time.
All right, so let's chat now because this is information
coming from World's Best Drivers Index for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
So I think it's a little bit harsh to say
forthmost difficult. I would say literally every country in Africa
going north would be more difficult many countries in Central America. However,
we are not the best, there's no question you're not
European or Asian standards, but definitely not for the worst.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Okay, And I mean we do know what these studies,
they don't necessarily go into every single country and all
of those things.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But maybe let's kick off with the who.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Ranks above us, or maybe even share the top ten
that have been ranked, and then we can chat about
what makes South Africa so challenging to drive in.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Of course, I'm sure like many of our listeners, we've
had the privilege of traveling to Europe, traveling to North America,
traveling to Australia. Possibly when you go to any first
clearly defined first World country, the rules of the road,
the rules of everything called a spade, the spade are obeyed.
In South Africa, unfortunately, the rules are not applied. So
(02:22):
you asked who ranks above us, I'll take Canada, the US,
any Asian country, Australia, New Zealand, essentially first world classified countries.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Okay, and I think you know, there's a part of
me that was like, well, the number of potholes we
have in Hounting alone make it that difficult to drive in.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But I know that there are other factors that are looked.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
At, of course, so interestingly, I'm proudly South African. I
still think our roads are very very first world. The layout,
the fundamentals of our roads. There's no question you're right
there are a lot more potholes than it would have
been five or ten years ago. But if you said
to me, what is the simple biggest challenge that we
have in South Africa, and maybe some people are holding
(03:12):
against me, it's a taxis. If you think about your
trip to work, your trip home in rush hour, it's
all around a taxi overtaking on the left, locking certain
lanes for taxi ranks. So I believe the biggest challenge
in South Africa is the taxi organizations. Sadly, and is
that just in.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Terms of their unpredictability or correct the times where you
know the organizations and the name has just gone out
my head, the taxi organizations start to, you know, put
people's lives in danger by like taking their cars and
(03:52):
that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Oh, that's a story for another day. You don't really
get me started on that because our blood boils and
I don't talk of proly as I am now, but
you use the word, and you use the word and
predictability absolutely Again, anybody listening or say wow, mighty saying
what we encounter every day. You're driving and out of nowhere,
taxi cuts in from the right hand lane across to
(04:15):
the left hand lane to drop passengers. You're driving in
a left hand lane out of nowhere, the taxi stops.
You come to an intersection with a taxi blocking it
because you're dropping off passengers. If it sounds like I'm
picking on an organization, not the intention, but the question
is why are our roads relatively dangerous compared to first
(04:35):
world countries? And I believe the taxi industry, which is
fundamentally not regulated, not playing by the rules, is contributing
the largest part to this.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Okay, I want to now look at the fact that
as South Africans, we are quite heavy drinkers, and I
know that also plays a factor.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So remember at the top conversation, I said law abiding
and then you go to first hold countries, drinking and
driving is breaking the law. I can say proudly, very truthfully,
I am a total KEYTOTALA. I don't drink and drive.
But I've seen with my own eyes. You go to
your function before that are close to you, people that
you fundamentally respect, they will get in the car when
(05:21):
they shouldn't. So our high drinking rate on the road,
no question, plays an incredible role. And remember as well,
when we talk about road desks in South Africa, we
include pedestrians. Your average sadly pedestion that just kN October
has been drinking. And you can find out on the
authorities if I'm correct on that a pedition that's got
(05:43):
knocked over was under the influence.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I've heard that one too as well, that it isn't
just drivers, it was pedestrians under the influence. I want
to just briefly chat about the road desks that we
have in South Africa. Those stats came come out quite regularly.
How are we doing as South Africans?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
One word terribly and I want to use the word deservedly.
So why do I say deservedly? So if it was
a case that we've got these natural disasters et cetera,
that are causing death. You can't fix it. But we
have got road desk based on alcohol, bad driving, speeding.
A little bit of the bad roads that you spoke about.
(06:27):
If you go to certain of out rural areas and
Pumlangul and Popo, those rural roads, even though they tar,
they're only imitating tar. It's in terrible condition. People swerve
out to avoid a pothole, get hit by a truck,
get hit by a taxi. But the short answer to
your question, we are doing terrible and I use the
word deservedly. So the authorities, the government, they are not
(06:50):
doing what they can re enforce the law and give
us safe roads. Fundamentally, South Africans, I believe our law abiding,
but you allow them to break them law and they will.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Can we talk about speeding? Are we speedsters in South Africa?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So interesting? And again why is that interesting? I can
wear two hats on this. I don't believe it's speed
that is killing. Because you take the average crash that
has happened on the road, on the highway that's not
being called. It's not because people have been speeding. It's
because of bad driving. It's because of unroadworthy cars. So
(07:28):
is speeding condoned far far from it. I've got a
podcast where I said, I never want to see the
speed limits increase from one twenty. But I don't believe
speed is the biggest concern that we have. It's reckless
driving and sometimes don't last. People driving too slow in
the FoST lane, people doing eighty kilongs an hour in
the right hand lane, and people overtake on the left
(07:51):
hand lane and something happens.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Sadly, why are they they?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I genuinely don't understand why people choose to go into
the fast lane to drive slow.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I can see it's a personal bugbase.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Oh my gosh, some of them like sir or ma'am,
why are we doing this? Is Denial really a river
in Egypt?
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You're making me laugh. So we've all heard the term
keep left pass right. Yes, it's so simple. What it
means is, unless you're overtaking. If you spoke about First
World countries in Australia as an example, you will not
drive in the right hand lane. You will stay in
the left hand lane. Should you need to overtake a
car doing five kilometers slower than you, you will go
(08:36):
into the right hand lane right, keep left pass right.
If we could just do that in South Africa and
being the right lane, another big step forward.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Okay, and that's something important to note, all right. A
person on the.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
WhatsApp line says, please ask about road markings.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So remember I spoke about the authorities doing that they
need to do executed at road markings. You're driving at night.
You can't clearly see the white lines, whether it be
a solid white line that's no longer what it used
to be, or those reflectors that you should have on
the center island now in the center of the road.
So road markings in this country are poor. However, because
(09:20):
we've got the G twenty coming in November. As everybody noticed,
all of a sudden road markings are being done. Why
road markings being done is first world standard. You've got
good road markings, You're on top of it, so all
of a sudden be pretending to be on top of it.
But to the WhatsApp question, shocking historically.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Okay, and we do keep hoping that the government does
what they need to do. One person says South Africans
do not keep to the law midrand Auckland Park.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
It is a mess.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
So let's look at an intersection. You know the robot
is going to change again. But what do the people
do at an intersection? Instead of just stopping and stopping
everybody behind them, they go ahead and try to cross.
They can't cross. Now they're blocking the intersection. And that's
how you have that traffic again, one hundred percent not
(10:16):
doing what is right in the moment and causing consequences
for others. Now you're getting my blood boiling. I'm joking
and joking, but you can just do. Everybody who's listening
can actually live it. They can say, wow, Mike and
the host, all right, this is what happens in the morning,
this is what happens in the afternoon. Play by the
rules and everybody benefits. Break the rules and everybody's affected.
(10:39):
Simple as that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
I have to ask you, Michael, do you think there's
any contribution to our ranking that comes from the fact
that we don't really have cycle lanes?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
So again, very interesting question. I won't pretend it a
thought of that, but I would say to anybody who's
looking to cycle, and I'll answer the question in a second.
Anybody is looking to cycle on Southascan roads, don't do it.
It's just too dangerous. Even riding a motorbike, in my opinion,
is dangerous. But cycle lanes, Dedicated cycle lanes would help tremendously.
(11:13):
People feel comfortable to use it, and that would naturally
reduce traffic. And when you're near a cyclist, I think
most people are a little bit more cautious, which is
very very good. You see an elderly person walking, you're
more cautious. You see a cyclist, you more cautious. So
let's get some cycle lanes and another step forward.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yeah, that is a very important one.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Somebody says here there are foreigners driving on our roads
who have never passed our road testing requirements.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I don't know about those facts, but what are your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
There? Not even a question again, and I don't say
it with any arrogance. I refer to the podcast because
we love talking about these topics. And this is why
I'm so appreciative to be on your incredible show. You
take the Checker sixty sixty bike riders, you take the
Uber bike riders. Fundamentally they are foreigners. Do they have
(12:10):
a license? Do they look like they've got a license.
Do they look like they've got a license that is authentic?
The way they drive in my opinion, No, so I
think when the listener is referring to foreigners, is my
opinion that they're talking about that. I've noticed an incredible
frustration building against these motorcyclists. Do they obey the rules? No,
(12:31):
they go through robots, they don't stop at booms in
shopping centers, they don't go the right way round a
traffic circle. You allow that to become the norm, and
you just want a slippery slope to being the third
worst as opposed to the fourth worst.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I'm with you there, Michael, Thank you so so much
for your time, and you guys can catch him hosting
All Things Motoring on DSDV channel one eight nine and
also on his online platform Change Cars.
Seven o two the Car Feature.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Fifteen minutes to three o'clock time for the Car Feature,
and today we're joined by Michael Pashutu is owner of
the online platform Change Cars and host of all Things
Motoring on the DStv channel one eighty nine, chatting South
Africa being ranked the fourth most challenging country to drive
in and I saw an a year from all of
(00:24):
you in terms of your experiences, as if you think
that South Africa has been ranked correctly as the fourth
most challenging country to drive in audible ONEBA three oh
seven oh two and the WhatsApp line O seven to
seven oh two one seven oh two.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Michael, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for
joining us.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Thank you for the opportunity. And I love the way
you pronounced my surname perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh my goodness, I'm so relieved.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I of all people, it's brilliant. Anything that always makes
me laugh is the way the surname gets mispronounced at
CUC spots on first time. Oh really, probably on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Shout out to my producer for making shis trained in time.
All right, so let's chat now because this is information
coming from World's Best Drivers Index for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
So I think it's a little bit harsh to say
forthmost difficult. I would say literally every country in Africa
going north would be more difficult many countries in Central America. However,
we are not the best, there's no question you're not
European or Asian standards, but definitely not for the worst.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Okay, And I mean we do know what these studies,
they don't necessarily go into every single country and all
of those things.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But maybe let's kick off with the who.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Ranks above us, or maybe even share the top ten
that have been ranked, and then we can chat about
what makes South Africa so challenging to drive in.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Of course, I'm sure like many of our listeners, we've
had the privilege of traveling to Europe, traveling to North America,
traveling to Australia. Possibly when you go to any first
clearly defined first World country, the rules of the road,
the rules of everything called a spade, the spade are obeyed.
In South Africa, unfortunately, the rules are not applied. So
(02:22):
you asked who ranks above us, I'll take Canada, the US,
any Asian country, Australia, New Zealand, essentially first world classified countries.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Okay, and I think you know, there's a part of
me that was like, well, the number of potholes we
have in Hounting alone make it that difficult to drive in.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But I know that there are other factors that are looked.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
At, of course, so interestingly, I'm proudly South African. I
still think our roads are very very first world. The layout,
the fundamentals of our roads. There's no question you're right
there are a lot more potholes than it would have
been five or ten years ago. But if you said
to me, what is the simple biggest challenge that we
have in South Africa, and maybe some people are holding
(03:12):
against me, it's a taxis. If you think about your
trip to work, your trip home in rush hour, it's
all around a taxi overtaking on the left, locking certain
lanes for taxi ranks. So I believe the biggest challenge
in South Africa is the taxi organizations. Sadly, and is
that just in.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Terms of their unpredictability or correct the times where you
know the organizations and the name has just gone out
my head, the taxi organizations start to, you know, put
people's lives in danger by like taking their cars and
(03:52):
that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Oh, that's a story for another day. You don't really
get me started on that because our blood boils and
I don't talk of proly as I am now, but
you use the word, and you use the word and
predictability absolutely Again, anybody listening or say wow, mighty saying
what we encounter every day. You're driving and out of nowhere,
taxi cuts in from the right hand lane across to
(04:15):
the left hand lane to drop passengers. You're driving in
a left hand lane out of nowhere, the taxi stops.
You come to an intersection with a taxi blocking it
because you're dropping off passengers. If it sounds like I'm
picking on an organization, not the intention, but the question
is why are our roads relatively dangerous compared to first
(04:35):
world countries? And I believe the taxi industry, which is
fundamentally not regulated, not playing by the rules, is contributing
the largest part to this.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Okay, I want to now look at the fact that
as South Africans, we are quite heavy drinkers, and I
know that also plays a factor.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So remember at the top conversation, I said law abiding
and then you go to first hold countries, drinking and
driving is breaking the law. I can say proudly, very truthfully,
I am a total KEYTOTALA. I don't drink and drive.
But I've seen with my own eyes. You go to
your function before that are close to you, people that
you fundamentally respect, they will get in the car when
(05:21):
they shouldn't. So our high drinking rate on the road,
no question, plays an incredible role. And remember as well,
when we talk about road desks in South Africa, we
include pedestrians. Your average sadly pedestion that just kN October
has been drinking. And you can find out on the
authorities if I'm correct on that a pedition that's got
(05:43):
knocked over was under the influence.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I've heard that one too as well, that it isn't
just drivers, it was pedestrians under the influence. I want
to just briefly chat about the road desks that we
have in South Africa. Those stats came come out quite regularly.
How are we doing as South Africans?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
One word terribly and I want to use the word deservedly.
So why do I say deservedly? So if it was
a case that we've got these natural disasters et cetera,
that are causing death. You can't fix it. But we
have got road desk based on alcohol, bad driving, speeding.
A little bit of the bad roads that you spoke about.
(06:27):
If you go to certain of out rural areas and
Pumlangul and Popo, those rural roads, even though they tar,
they're only imitating tar. It's in terrible condition. People swerve
out to avoid a pothole, get hit by a truck,
get hit by a taxi. But the short answer to
your question, we are doing terrible and I use the
word deservedly. So the authorities, the government, they are not
(06:50):
doing what they can re enforce the law and give
us safe roads. Fundamentally, South Africans, I believe our law abiding,
but you allow them to break them law and they will.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Can we talk about speeding? Are we speedsters in South Africa?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So interesting? And again why is that interesting? I can
wear two hats on this. I don't believe it's speed
that is killing. Because you take the average crash that
has happened on the road, on the highway that's not
being called. It's not because people have been speeding. It's
because of bad driving. It's because of unroadworthy cars. So
(07:28):
is speeding condoned far far from it. I've got a
podcast where I said, I never want to see the
speed limits increase from one twenty. But I don't believe
speed is the biggest concern that we have. It's reckless
driving and sometimes don't last. People driving too slow in
the FoST lane, people doing eighty kilongs an hour in
the right hand lane, and people overtake on the left
(07:51):
hand lane and something happens.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Sadly, why are they they?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I genuinely don't understand why people choose to go into
the fast lane to drive slow.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I can see it's a personal bugbase.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Oh my gosh, some of them like sir or ma'am,
why are we doing this? Is Denial really a river
in Egypt?
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You're making me laugh. So we've all heard the term
keep left pass right. Yes, it's so simple. What it
means is, unless you're overtaking. If you spoke about First
World countries in Australia as an example, you will not
drive in the right hand lane. You will stay in
the left hand lane. Should you need to overtake a
car doing five kilometers slower than you, you will go
(08:36):
into the right hand lane right, keep left pass right.
If we could just do that in South Africa and
being the right lane, another big step forward.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Okay, and that's something important to note, all right. A
person on the.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
WhatsApp line says, please ask about road markings.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So remember I spoke about the authorities doing that they
need to do executed at road markings. You're driving at night.
You can't clearly see the white lines, whether it be
a solid white line that's no longer what it used
to be, or those reflectors that you should have on
the center island now in the center of the road.
So road markings in this country are poor. However, because
(09:20):
we've got the G twenty coming in November. As everybody noticed,
all of a sudden road markings are being done. Why
road markings being done is first world standard. You've got
good road markings, You're on top of it, so all
of a sudden be pretending to be on top of it.
But to the WhatsApp question, shocking historically.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Okay, and we do keep hoping that the government does
what they need to do. One person says South Africans
do not keep to the law midrand Auckland Park.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
It is a mess.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
So let's look at an intersection. You know the robot
is going to change again. But what do the people
do at an intersection? Instead of just stopping and stopping
everybody behind them, they go ahead and try to cross.
They can't cross. Now they're blocking the intersection. And that's
how you have that traffic again, one hundred percent not
(10:16):
doing what is right in the moment and causing consequences
for others. Now you're getting my blood boiling. I'm joking
and joking, but you can just do. Everybody who's listening
can actually live it. They can say, wow, Mike and
the host, all right, this is what happens in the morning,
this is what happens in the afternoon. Play by the
rules and everybody benefits. Break the rules and everybody's affected.
(10:39):
Simple as that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
I have to ask you, Michael, do you think there's
any contribution to our ranking that comes from the fact
that we don't really have cycle lanes?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
So again, very interesting question. I won't pretend it a
thought of that, but I would say to anybody who's
looking to cycle, and I'll answer the question in a second.
Anybody is looking to cycle on Southascan roads, don't do it.
It's just too dangerous. Even riding a motorbike, in my opinion,
is dangerous. But cycle lanes, Dedicated cycle lanes would help tremendously.
(11:13):
People feel comfortable to use it, and that would naturally
reduce traffic. And when you're near a cyclist, I think
most people are a little bit more cautious, which is
very very good. You see an elderly person walking, you're
more cautious. You see a cyclist, you more cautious. So
let's get some cycle lanes and another step forward.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yeah, that is a very important one.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Somebody says here there are foreigners driving on our roads
who have never passed our road testing requirements.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I don't know about those facts, but what are your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
There? Not even a question again, and I don't say
it with any arrogance. I refer to the podcast because
we love talking about these topics. And this is why
I'm so appreciative to be on your incredible show. You
take the Checker sixty sixty bike riders, you take the
Uber bike riders. Fundamentally they are foreigners. Do they have
(12:10):
a license? Do they look like they've got a license.
Do they look like they've got a license that is authentic?
The way they drive in my opinion, No, so I
think when the listener is referring to foreigners, is my
opinion that they're talking about that. I've noticed an incredible
frustration building against these motorcyclists. Do they obey the rules? No,
(12:31):
they go through robots, they don't stop at booms in
shopping centers, they don't go the right way round a
traffic circle. You allow that to become the norm, and
you just want a slippery slope to being the third
worst as opposed to the fourth worst.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I'm with you there, Michael, Thank you so so much
for your time, and you guys can catch him hosting
All Things Motoring on DSDV channel one eight nine and
also on his online platform Change Cars.
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