South African train commuters will soon be paying more to travel, as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa PRASA rolls out its first fare hike in 10 years, Cape town Etc reports.
Starting 1 August 2025, commuters across Cape Town and beyond will face new pricing structures for Metrorail services, with notable changes to single, return, weekly, and monthly tickets. The last time PRASA adjusted fares was back in July 2015, making this announcement long-anticipated.
Short-distance travellers using zones 1 and 2 will now pay R10 and R12 respectively for single trips, a R2.50 increase from the current fares. Those journeying further, in zones 3 and 4, will see no change in price for single or return tickets.
Return tickets in zone 1 will rise from R14 to R20, while zone 2 sees a bump from R18.50 to R22. Fares for longer routes in zones 3 and 4 remain the same, a strategic move by PRASA to keep longer-distance travel attractive.
Weekly fares will increase by R5 to R15 depending on travel distance and whether the ticket includes Saturday travel. A weekly Monday-to-Saturday pass for zone 4, for example, will now cost R120 instead of R91.