Road Accident Fund claim guide 2026
For anyone hurt in a road accident in South Africa, or a family member: who can claim from the RAF, the deadlines, serious injury, death claims, the claim status and what private car insurance adds.
No sign-up, no form: nothing about you is collected.
Who this guide is for
- You were hurt in a road accident, as a driver, passenger or pedestrian
- A family member died in a road accident
- You already claimed and want to follow your claim
What is inside: table of contents
The PDF puts together 7 guides of Tulinde South Africa, word for word: each chapter opens with its short answer, then the full sections, the frequently asked questions and the date it was last reviewed. All 27 sources — the laws, the regulator and the official documents each fact comes from — are listed at the end, with their links.
- Road Accident Fund (RAF): who can claim, what it pays and how to claim without a lawyer
Who can claim · What the RAF pays — and what it never pays · Deadlines: 3 years, 2 years, 5 years · How to claim directly, without a lawyer · Documents for an injury claim · RAF contact details and offices · The RAF fuel levy in 2026 · Is the RAF Act changing?
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 14 questions · 11 sources
- RAF claim deadline calculator: when your Road Accident Fund claim prescribes
The deadlines in the law · Worked example
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 5 questions · 2 sources
- RAF serious injury assessment: the RAF 4 form, the 30% test and the narrative test
What the law says · The three steps of the assessment · The RAF 4 form: who completes it and when · "How much does the RAF pay for a leg injury?" · Practical points before you claim general damages
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 6 sources
- RAF death claims: loss of support and funeral costs after a road death
Loss of support: who can claim, and how it is calculated · Funeral or cremation costs: what the RAF pays and what it never pays · Documents for an RAF death claim · Deadlines and the next steps
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 5 questions · 7 sources
- RAF claim status: how to check a Road Accident Fund claim, and what the stages mean
The official ways to check an RAF claim · What happens after you lodge: the stages and the legal clock · Why RAF payments come in parts (the "second payment") · If you claimed directly, without a lawyer
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 5 questions · 4 sources
- Car insurance in South Africa: what the law requires, what the RAF covers and what you buy yourself
Is car insurance compulsory in South Africa? · The three types of car insurance · What affects the premium · The excess: what you pay on every claim · What to check before you sign · Why car claims get rejected — lessons from the Ombud · Injuries are a separate claim — against the RAF
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 12 sources
- Third party vs comprehensive car insurance in South Africa
Side by side · Third party only: who it suits · Third party, fire and theft · Comprehensive · Who pays what after a crash · How to choose
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 4 questions · 9 sources
Look inside
Two pages of the PDF exactly as you will get it: the contents page and the first page of chapter 1.
Who writes it
Tulinde is an independent guide run by Takat AI. It is not an insurer, a broker or an agent, and it does not rank or rate insurers. Every fact comes from a primary source listed in the guide. Read how we check facts.