Heavy rainfall, on Tuesday, 01 June and Wednesday, 2 June 2021, brought this magnificent view of water gushing down the Ntentule Falls on the Mateku River 20 km east of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. The waterfall, measured at 175-metre high, is located near SANRAL’s Msikaba bridge project.  In 2019, professional surveyors and engineers discovered that the Ntentule Falls was the second-highest waterfall in South Africa.

The Msikaba bridge is part of SANRAL’s N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project. The key purpose of the N2WCR project is to serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the country. Once complete, the route will be approximately 69km and 85km shorter than the current N2 and R61 routes, respectively and, due to its shorter and flatter alignment, between 1 ½ hour to 3 hours faster, for light and heavy freight vehicles, respectively.  This new route will significantly reduce vehicle carbon emissions and result in a time-cost saving to motorists and freight operators of approximately R1.5 billion per annum.

The socio-economic impact of the N2WCR project is offering significant injection for the local communities. The minimum 30% expenditure earmarked for Targeted Enterprise sub-contractors and suppliers will result in over R4 billion flowing to SMMEs most of which will be from the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo Districts.