Potholes, heavy trucks and out-of-order traffic lights are some of the concerns on South Africa’s roads. Despite leading to one of South Africa’s main attractions, the Kruger National Park, the roads are not in the best condition and have been this way for the past four years, industry has said.

Tom Vorster, Social Media & Marketing for Kruger Lowveld Tourism, says they have been engaging with the provincial authorities on maintaining and upgrading the poor state of roads in the Kruger region. The roads in question are either “in a particularly poor state or undergoing extensive maintenance”. According to Vorster, both Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane, MEC of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, and Sasekani Manzini, MEC of Public Works, Roads and Transport are aware of the situation.

Kruger Lowveld Tourism together with Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism have put together a detailed report on the condition of the roads in the region, which they will present at a meeting in the new year. Vorster told Tourism Update that they were hoping for both Kholwane and Manzini to be present.

Karien le Grand, Product Development Manager at Tourvest, says that the route from Dullstroom through Lydenberg and Ohrigstad is known for potholes and bad conditions, however there is no alternative when driving to central Kruger and Hoedspruit without adding hours to the driving time. Le Grand says that while many of the potholes have been filled, this is only a short-term solution. Andrew Iles, Ashtons Tours, Safaris & Shuttles, says this section of road needs to be completely resurfaced, adding that the increased number of vehicles travelling on the road also affects the condition. “The biggest issue with these sections is the number of heavy trucks travelling on them daily and this number has increased of late,” said Iles.

The worst-maintained roads are within small rural towns, says Tim Bouwers, MD Bobo Campers. “Large potholes, non-working traffic lights and worn-out road markings are a hallmark of many small towns everywhere, with a few exceptions,” says Bouwers. He adds that this may be because once out of town there is less traffic and generally less wear on the roads.

Vorster says that both the R36 from Bambi to Lydenburg/Mashishing and the R536 from Hazyview to Sabie are in a poor state.

He adds that the N4 (Elands River Valley Route) from Waterval Boven to Ngodwana is under maintenance with three points where vehicles need to stop and go. An alternative route would be to make use of the Schoemanskloof route. The N4 route from Hectorspruit to Komatipoort is also under maintenance with a single lane in each direction and a large number of heavy vehicles. Vorster predicts that the road is likely to become increasingly busy over the holidays due to the annual migration to Mozambique.

Mpumalanga’s Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport did not respond to request for comment at the time of publication.

Both Bouwers and Fanie van Zyl, MD of SA Coach Charters and Bus Rentals, agree that the Western Cape has some of the best roads. However, Van Zyl adds that the heavy trucks operating for the mines on the route from Johannesburg to Swaziland via Ermelo have also left this road in poor condition.