(BSS/AFP) - At least 21 people were killed when two minibus taxis and an SUV collided on a highway in South Africa`s Western Cape province, a government road safety partnership said on Monday.

The crash happened between Leeu-Gamka and Prince Albert, about 380 kilometres (236 miles) northeast of Cape Town, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.

"According to the information 21 persons sustained fatal injuries," the RTMC said in a brief statement. Local media reported that the vehicles collided at around 2130 GMT on Sunday, forcing the closure of the highway.

Police told AFP they had opened a culpable homicide investigation following the crash and said "several other occupants" had been hospitalised.

South Africa has one of the continent`s most developed road networks but continues to struggle with a high rate of road deaths, largely blamed on speeding, reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles and the failure to use seat belts.

In 2025, 11,485 people were killed in road crashes in South Africa, down more than five percent from a year earlier, according to RTMC data. Most of the fatalities were pedestrians.