In a dimly lit parking area at OR Tambo International Airport, dozens of abandoned vehicles sit frozen in time beneath layers of dust so thick that strangers have turned them into message boards.
“STOLEN”, somebody has scribbled across the rear window of a dusty Polo.
Between 40 and 50 vehicles sit abandoned at OR Tambo
Nearby are names, dates, crude sketches and random messages etched into the grime – evidence that these vehicles have not moved in years.
Some cars have flat tyres. Others appear stripped for parts. One aging white Citi Golf sits with its bonnet missing and engine exposed, looking more scrapyard relic than an airport parking occupant.
Yet, all of them remain parked inside South Africa’s busiest airport.
According to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), between 40 and 50 vehicles are currently classified as abandoned at OR Tambo Airport, although the number fluctuates as airport staff continue monitoring the parking facility.
“The longest recorded case of abandonment dates back to 2018,” the company said.
The collection of forgotten vehicles offers a contrast to the constant movement above them: thousands of travellers passing through the airport daily while below cars gather dust in silence.
Abandoned cars dating back to 2018
Acsa said there is currently no formal time limit for how long a vehicle may remain parked before being flagged as abandoned.
Instead, airport parking attendants and security personnel monitor vehicles daily, looking for telltale signs, including heavy dust accumulation, flat tyres and unusually long stays.
How the vehicles end up abandoned varies from case to case.
According to Acsa, some owners may have left the country, others could be facing financial difficulties, while some simply never return to collect their cars.
In cases where vehicles are still under finance agreements, banks may intervene. But where vehicles are fully paid off, the legal process becomes more complicated.
“Acsa does not currently have the legal standing to claim ownership,” the airport operator said.
Acsa works with police to trace owners
The company added that it works with the South African Police Service and financial institutions to trace owners and determine whether any vehicles may have been stolen.
The dusty cars have also become an unintended canvas for passersby.
Windows are covered in finger-written messages, signatures and graffiti layered over years of accumulated dirt. Some markings appear recent, while others have partially faded beneath newer scribbles.
Despite the unusual sight, Acsa said there is currently “no formal mechanism” to remove or repurpose abandoned vehicles from the airport’s parking facilities.
However, the company said efforts are underway to develop a legal and operational framework to better manage unclaimed vehicles in future.
OR Tambo’s parking facilities can accommodate about 11 500 vehicles, with thousands moving through the airport daily.
Cases handled individually
Among the abandoned cars are both economy vehicles and more expensive models, although Acsa declined to identify specific makes or discuss the highest parking fees accumulated by any single vehicle.
The airport operator confirmed there have been cases where owners eventually returned after extended absences – only to face substantial parking bills.
“Each case is handled individually,” Acsa said.
For now, though, many of the vehicles remain exactly where they were left: coated in years of dust, quietly deteriorating beneath the constant churn of one of Africa’s busiest transport hubs.
