Transaid and CILT International Supporting Safer Journeys in Ghana and South Africa
In 2025, Transaid received a donation of £7,500 from CILT International to support its work improving road safety and transport systems in lower income communities.
This funding has contributed to programmes in both South Africa and Ghana, helping to drive practical change where it is most needed.
Improving safety and confidence in South Africa
In South Africa, Transaid has been working with the South African National Taxi Council’s Women’s Desk (SANTACO). Minibus taxis are a vital mode of transport for many, particularly for lower income households, yet concerns around personal safety remain significant, especially for women.
With support from CILT International and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, nine minibus taxi associations have now adopted a Safe Minibus Taxi Charter. This sets out clear commitments around safety, respect and accountability across the industry.
Alongside this, 124 minibus taxi drivers have taken part in training focused on understanding and preventing Sexual and Gender Based Violence. Encouragingly, 86 percent of participants said they believe they can play a role in addressing these issues within the industry.
Yolande Jacobs, taxi operator and Chairperson for the South African National Taxi Council Women in Mitchell’s Plain Taxi Association, has seen the impact first hand:
I can see their hunger for training, their hunger for what they get to learn, their hunger for experience. The future looks bright with Transaid next to us.
Visible safety measures, including project stickers displayed on vehicles, are helping to reinforce these commitments publicly. They signal to passengers that safety matters and are supporting more women to step into leadership roles within the sector.
Raising driver training standards in Ghana
In Ghana, Transaid has been working alongside government, CILT Ghana and private sector partners to improve HGV driver training standards.
Road safety remains a critical challenge. The World Health Organization’s 2023 Global Road Safety Status Report estimates that 1.19 million people lose their lives on the roads each year globally, with the majority of these occurring in low and middle income countries. In Ghana alone, an estimated 2,949 people lost their lives in 2025.
With technical support from CILT Ghana, a new HGV driver training curriculum and instructor manual was developed and adopted in 2024. Building on this, Transaid has been supporting the rollout of this new standard across the country.
Field officers have now been deployed to 13 of Ghana’s 16 regions, sharing road safety information with thousands of drivers and distributing essential safety equipment including fact sheets, warning triangles and high visibility vests.
The programme is also strengthening long term capability by developing refresher training modules and supporting in house driver trainers, enabling transport companies to embed these standards within their own operations.
Thelma Ayisi, Transaid Project Manager, said:
A large majority of the drivers we have encountered have never received any formal driver education but are expected to take on a job that requires high levels of skill and competency. Through this project, we are able to take key road safety messages to them in a way they can understand. We believe every driver should be able to come home safely to their family.
Supporting global impact through collaboration
While core funding for the Ghana programme has come from the Puma Energy Foundation, support from CILT International has enabled Transaid to extend its reach and impact.
These initiatives highlight the value of collaboration across the global CILT network, bringing together expertise, advocacy and funding to support safer, more inclusive transport systems.