The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) is facing mounting pressure over its road network after 3 099 km of provincial roads were transferred to the agency during the 2024/25 financial year, many in poor condition and without accompanying budgets.
Chairperson Themba Mhambi told the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure on 24 February 2026 that the agency accepted these roads, often in a “paltry state,” to support national economic development. He noted that until recently, Sanral had experienced no major issues with road conditions, but the inherited roads have created new challenges.
Sanral’s chief legal risk and compliance officer, acting CEO Kaiser Koza, confirmed the transfer of 3 099 km and said the agency has already undertaken immediate routine maintenance to ensure the roads remain drivable and safe.
The transfers contributed to shortfalls in key performance indicators, including smooth travel exposure at 94.70% against a 95% target, bridge condition exposure at 89.10% against 90%, and an overall roads condition index of 64.45 against a target of 70.
Sanral’s non-toll network, which makes up 90% of its roads and relies on government grants, recorded operating expenditure of R23 billion in 2024/25, with large portions directed to maintenance. For 2025/26, the agency anticipates reprioritising existing allocations to address transferred roads, while discussions with National Treasury continue regarding additional funding.
Concerns about heavy freight damaging roads, especially those better suited for rail, have prompted Sanral to explore targeted measures. Mhambi told the committee that the board directed management to examine “special toll roads for particularly heavy freight that might be too damaging to our network” to protect ordinary motorists. He added that Transnet is supporting the effort by accelerating the shift of freight transport from road to rail.
Sanral also confirmed it would provide the committee with a full list of transferred roads to improve transparency and oversight.