ACSA. WHAT A DISGRACE

ACSA - what a disaster!

From an operational and governance perspective, ACSA has struggled for several years across key dimensions:

Operational performance • Infrastructure failures: Repeated issues with fuel supply systems, baggage handling, air-conditioning, escalators, and backup power—most notably at OR Tambo—have disrupted airlines and passengers. • Service quality decline: Cleanliness, queue management, and passenger experience have deteriorated compared to international benchmarks and even ACSA’s own historical standards.

Governance and management • Cadre deployment and instability: Frequent board and executive changes have undermined institutional continuity and accountability. • Procurement failures: Inability to conclude critical maintenance and supply contracts on time has directly caused operational breakdowns. • Weak consequence management: Very few senior executives have been held personally accountable for repeated failures.

Financial and strategic issues • Post-COVID fragility: While traffic volumes recovered, operational readiness did not keep pace. • Overreliance on monopoly status: ACSA faces limited competitive pressure, which reduces incentives to improve efficiency or customer service.

Broader impact • Economic damage: Tourism, cargo logistics, and airline confidence suffer when airports are unreliable. • Reputational harm: South Africa’s primary airports increasingly compare poorly with peers in Africa and emerging markets.

In short, the frustration is understandable. ACSA illustrates a broader state-owned enterprise problem: competent technical staff constrained by poor leadership, politicised governance, and weak execution