Earlier reports said the crash occurred at about 7am on Monday, when the minibus was taking learners to various schools in the area.
South Africa was on Monday mourning the deaths of 13 schoolchildren who died after their minibus collided with a truck near Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg.
According to local officials in a statement, an incident that has once again brought the country’s poor road safety record into focus, Reuters reports.
Earlier reports said the crash occurred at about 7am on Monday, when the minibus was taking learners to various schools in the area.
The vehicle was travelling along a busy road on the outskirts of the industrial city when it attempted to overtake another car, according to preliminary accounts.
Witnesses and officials said the minibus then veered into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a truck travelling in the other direction.
Emergency services arrived quickly, but 11 pupils were pronounced dead at the scene, while two more later died in hospital.
Three other children were being treated for injuries in hospital following the incident, officials said in an earlier statement.
A police official told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre could have caused the incident, adding that a culpable homicide case would be opened.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed condolences to the families, teachers and friends of the victims, saying in a statement, “we must do all we can” to protect learners.
Transport Minister, Barbara Creecy, said last week that the number of deaths on South Africa’s roads was “a reason for national shame” despite a drop in deaths last year.
There were 11,418 road deaths in 2025, about 6% lower than a year earlier but still equivalent to an average of 31 deaths a day.
The fatalities were largely due to speeding and drunk driving, Creecy said at the time.