South Africa’s government has allocated nearly R31 billion (about $1.7 billion) to the country’s national roads agency this financial year to maintain, rehabilitate, upgrade, and expand the national road network.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced the allocation on Tuesday in Parliament while tabling the Department of Transport’s R102 billion ($5.6 billion) budget vote, which she described as aimed at building a transformed, inclusive, and competitive transport system.
Creecy said the funds would support capital expenditure on the non-toll network, operations of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, ongoing construction on major bridges along the N2 Wild Coast route, new road sections on national highways, and development of the Moloto Road corridor.
The infrastructure program is expected to create more than 35,000 jobs while supporting more than 2,000 small enterprises.
“Investment in public infrastructure projects is a significant catalyst for job creation and economic development,” Creecy said.
The minister raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of a practice in which provincial governments have transferred 13,000 kilometers of provincial roads to the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) since 2013.
She warned that continuing the approach would ultimately threaten the agency’s ability to manage the national road network without introducing widespread tolling.
To address the issue, the government plans to convene a joint meeting between the National Treasury and the Department of Transport through the Ministers and MECs forum to explore mechanisms to front-load the Provincial Road Maintenance Grant, enabling provinces to upgrade priority roads sooner.
The budget allocation forms part of a broader national transport investment strategy spanning road infrastructure, passenger rail, and road safety reform.
