Transport · Chart
South Africa’s aviation safety score has risen to 95.1%
95.1% ▲ +11.3 · +13.5 % · since 2013
The score has risen at every audit, from 83.8% in 2013 to 95.1% in 2026, well clear of the global average of roughly 68%.
Select a point to inspect its value.
View data table
| Observation | % |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 83.8 |
| 2017 | 87.4 |
| 2023 | 91.2 |
| 2026 | 95.1 |
From our storiesFourteen metres over Cape Town: a stadium flyover, and the state of South African aviationRead the full story →
Method and sources
Each point is South Africa's ICAO effective-implementation score at an assessment year, expressed as a percentage, as reported in the article. The score measures how much of the audited safety oversight system a state has put in place, on a scale from 0 to 100 percent.
2013: 83.8%. 2017: 87.4%. 2023: 91.2%. 2026: 95.1%.
The article notes the world average is roughly 68% and that the 2026 figure is preliminary, and it ranks South Africa eighth globally and first in Africa. The world average is approximate in the article and is not plotted.
The article gives assessment years only, so the period is approximated as 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2026.
Sources: ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (https://www.icao.int/)
Figures as published in our article on the DHL Stadium flyover and South African aviation (chart last checked 14 September 2026): ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme scores, with the 2026 figure preliminary via SACAA.
Chart updated · 2 Nov 2026. The observation dates above describe the data, not today’s conditions.
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