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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL boosts science and engineering through 34th SAICE Bridge-Building Competition

Caption: Durban High School learners, winners of the 34th SAICE Bridge-Building Competition with SAICE and SANRAL representatives

eThekwini, 19 July 2024 – In keeping with the spirit of the late Nelson Mandela to empower children through education, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) sponsored the 34th South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Bridge-Building Competition held at Durban High School on Thursday, 18 July 2024.

Thirteen schools participated in the competition, which not only forms an integral part of several schools’ activity calendars recognised on the same level as academic or sports achievements, but also sees some schools incorporating it as part of their curriculum.

Durban High School won the Bridge-Building Competition for the second consecutive year for constructing the most robust timber sticks and glue bridge. Fairvale High School and Northmead Secondary School took second and third place and took these titles for the second year in a row.

In addition, Northmead Secondary School was awarded the Professor Leveritt Innovation Award. The winners from SAICE branches countrywide will compete for the
coveted shield and cash prizes for team members and schools at the national competition which will be held in Midrand, Johannesburg, on 23 August 2024.

The other competing schools included Durban Girls High School, Al Falaah College, St Henry’s Marist College, Umlazi Commercial High School, Centenary Secondary, Maris Stella School, Sastri College, Our Lady of Fatima School, Ganges Secondary School and Hillview Secondary School.

“SANRAL’s partnership with SAICE started three years ago through the common interest of giving learners practical engineering education. The annual bridge-building competition builds the learners’ confidence to forge on with engineering as a career and exposes them to the technical skills required for practicing professionals,” said Nomcebo Cebekhulu, SANRAL Eastern Region Marketing and Communications Coordinator.

Sam Pillay, Chairperson of SAICE Durban, thanked all the sponsors for their continued support of the annual Bridge-Building Competition and wished the winners good luck for the national finals.

SANRAL has planned a site visit for the top three schools to one of the N2/N3 projects ahead of the finals to further inform them about bridge-building principles and the civil engineering industry.

Seatides Secondary School, one of the worst schools affected by the tornado that hit Tongaat on 3 June 2024, was the guest of honour at the event. Ms Yeshvira Brijal, Head of the Department for Math and Science at the school, explained that the devastation caused by the tornado was traumatic to the community and schools.

“We had just bought equipment for our science and computer laboratories three days before the tornado. This was most devastating to the learners because our children would have new and modern materials in their labs for the first time in many years. Most of our kids still have not written the second term assessments due to the damage to our school and the lack of infrastructure to accommodate them at neighbouring schools. Some remain homeless and displaced,” she said.

SAICE and its industry partners collectively donated R11 000.00 to Seatides Combined School to address immediate needs, especially those related to specialist subjects. Seatides also received an award of encouragement during this difficult time. The school continues to welcome any aid available and can be contacted directly.

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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL takes career expos to three schools in Heidelberg, Gauteng, on Mandela Day

Learners at Khanya-Lesedi Secondary School

Gauteng, 19 July 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) hosted career expos with three schools in Lesedi Local Municipality: Kgoro Ya Thuto Secondary School, Khanya-Lesedi Secondary School and Ratanda Secondary School based in Heidelberg, Gauteng Province.

The agency presented opportunities offered through its bursary and scholarship programme, encouraging learners to apply. The application deadline is 30 September 2024.

SANRAL’s scholarship is open to high school learners from Grade 8 to Grade 12, irrespective of their chosen subjects. Learners who are currently in Grade 7 and will be in Grade 8 in 2025, are also encouraged to apply. The minimum overall academic average to qualify is 60%.

The bursary programme, which previously centred on funding civil engineering studies, is available to Grade 12 students pursuing various tertiary qualifications at public institutions of higher learning nationwide. This includes Supply Chain and Procurement Management, Human Resources, Finance, Civil and Electronic Engineering.

Itumeleng Segone, SANRAL’s Stakeholder Relations Coordinator, emphasised the importance of prioritising funding support, noting that it contributes to creating a more equitable society where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

“Bursaries and scholarships offered by SANRAL are shaping a brighter future for South Africa, fostering a culture of learning, and driving the nation’s progress toward economic prosperity,” said Segone.

The heads of schools welcomed SANRAL’s visit, highlighting the impact of the agency’s bursaries and scholarships on students and communities, and reinforcing the importance of the government’s involvement in educational initiatives.

Learners at Kgoro Ya Thuto Secondary School

“We are grateful to SANRAL for their commitment to education and the future of our learners,” said Obed Selamolela, Principal of Kgoro Ya Thuto Secondary School. “The bursaries and scholarships provided by SANRAL open doors for our learners, allowing them to pursue their dreams and contribute meaningfully to society. This kind of support makes a difference in the lives of our students.”

James Totetsi, Deputy Principal of Khanya-Lesedi Secondary School, said, “SANRAL’s investment in our learners is a testament to their dedication to community development. By offering these bursaries, SANRAL not only empowers individual students but also uplifts entire communities.”

Ramalao Ntlatleng, Principal of Ratanda Secondary School, said, “As educators, we strive to provide our students with the best opportunities for success. SANRAL’s bursaries and scholarships are a beacon of hope for many of our learners, ensuring they have access to higher education and the chance to build a brighter future.”

The Executive Mayor of Lesedi Local Municipality, Mluleki Nkosi, participated in the programme and expressed his appreciation to SANRAL, highlighting the agency’s role in creating a promising future for learners.

“As the municipality, we applaud SANRAL for this impactful initiative and anticipate seeing learners flourish with their support. Given the current challenge of high unemployment in South Africa, the bursaries will enhance learners’ chances of receiving quality education and securing employment after completing their studies,” Nkosi said.

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Blasting Operations on N2 between Makhanda and Fish River Pass in the Eastern Cape

Gqeberha, 18 July 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) wishes to notify road users that the N2 will be intermittently closed between Makhanda (Grahamstown) and the Fish River Pass due to blasting operations taking place between 18 and 27 July 2024.

Blasting operations are planned for the following dates:

• Thursday, 18 July 2024,
• Monday, 22 July 2024,
• Thursday 25 July 2024, and
• Monday, 29 July 2024.

The road will be closed on these days from 15h00, for a maximum period of three hours up to 18h00, to allow sufficient time for the cleaning of the existing N2 and making it safe for the travelling public.

Motorists travelling westwards between East London or Qonce (King William’s Town) and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) may consider using the following alternative route:

• From East London, follow the R72 to Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea through to Nanaga, turn left onto the N2 and continue to Gqeberha.

Motorists travelling eastwards between Gqeberha and Qonce or East London may consider using the following alternative route:

• From Gqeberha, follow the N2 to Nanaga, turn right onto the R72 at the junction at Nanaga and travel on via Alexandria and Port Alfred to East London.
• From East London, turn left onto the N2 and travel westwards through to Qonce.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL’s Southern Regional Manager.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

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 TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Huguenot Tunnel closed to all traffic for scheduled maintenance on 20 July 2024

Western Cape, 16 July 2024 – The Huguenot Tunnel and Toll Road will be closed to all traffic, in both directions, for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, 20 July 2024 from 06h00 to 16h00, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“There are various maintenance projects that need to be completed and we have co-ordinated these to ensure we complete all works during these hours. The one full closure will also reduce the need for repeated delays and disruptions that require traffic accommodation, as the teams will have full access to their work areas without the risk of working under live traffic conditions,” said Mike Vinello-Lippert, SANRAL Project Manager.

Road users are advised to make use of alternate routes or to delay travel where possible. SANRAL apologises for the inconvenience and will keep the public updated on the tunnel operations.

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

N1 Section 21 Sinkhole Rehabilitation Project

Gauteng, 15th of July 2024: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that the Rehabilitation of the Sinkhole on the N1 Section 21 at km 22.0, Southbound, has reached the next phase. This requires the shifting of traffic on the Southbound carriageway.

The traffic shift is currently planned to occur from 09h00AM on Friday the 26th of July 2024 until 21h00PM on Sunday the 28th of July 2024 during which time the traffic past the Sinkhole Rehabilitation Site will be reduced to between 2 and 3 lanes for various periods – Southbound lanes only.

Alternative routes that can be taken include the M10 (Rigel offramp) or the R21 section 2 towards Solomon Mahlangu or Nellmapius Offramp to avoid the N1 section 21, as shown below.

Motorists are requested to strictly adhere to the traffic accommodation and signage provided.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL grows knowledge economy at Southern African Transport Conference

Gauteng, 14 July 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) flew the flag for the South African Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE) by
leading the discussion on ‘Critical Thinking Through Project Development’ at the Southern African Transport Conference in Pretoria last week.

“At SANRAL we advocate for membership of professional associations and our membership of SAICE creates a platform for collaboration, skills transfer and knowledge sharing among
civil engineering professionals,” said Alan Robinson, SANRAL’s Network Planning Manager.

“As the past Chair of SAICE’s Transport Division and the portfolio lead for course development, I was privileged to lead a very knowledgeable SAICE team that developed the
content for the day. We demonstrated the importance of widening the engineer’s scope of thought through critical thinking.”

Robinson said this was to ensure all factors influencing designs were considered and to understand how each element fitted into the overall project.

He said, “Younger engineers must always question why they are doing what they are doing to understand how their work fits into the overall system.”

The discussion topics covered most aspects of transport planning including:

• Transport systems
• Sustainability
• Transport planning
• Geometric and road pavement designs

“Using critical thinking through all elements of project design encourages engineers to apply their minds. They need to fully understand ‘the question’ to formulate an appropriate
response, while being mindful not to work in silos,” Robinson added.

The conference, which took place from 8 to 11 July at the CSIR ICC in Pretoria, brought together thought leaders, policy makers, academics and captains of industry under the
theme ‘Upskilling and reskilling the transport industry for current and future challenges’.

The event attracts more than 700 delegates each year.

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MEDIA RELEASE

Lane closures on the N3 at Camperdown Interchange for southbound traffic

Pietermaritzburg – 15 July 2024: The off-ramp at Camperdown for southbound traffic (Durban bound) will be closed from 20h00 until 05h00 on both the nights of 23 and 24 July 2024.

This is to facilitate the tie-in of the interchange off-ramp to the newly constructed N3 southbound carriageway, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) announced.

“Construction has now reached the stage between Camperdown Interchange and Dardanelles that the newly constructed southbound carriageway needs to be tied-in to the existing off-ramp at Camperdown Interchange,” said Thabiso Dladla, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The speed limit along the route has been reduced to 80kmph to improve the safety of the construction team and road users. Lane closures will be conducted in the evening to allow construction vehicles to safely enter and exit the work zone.

“Minor delays can be expected as a result of the lane closures. Motorists are urged to plan their trips accordingly and be vigilant along the construction site,” said Dladla.

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

SANRAL alerts motorists to stop/go on N2 Section 16 from Mooiplaas to Qumrha T-Junction

Gqerberha, 15 July 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) has advised road users that a stop/go system has been implemented on the N2 Section 16, from Mooiplaas to Qumrha T-Junction (formerly Komga).

A periodic road maintenance project is currently underway in the area.

The stop/go system will be in place from Mooiplaas to Qumrha T-Junction from 12 July to 3 August 2024.

Motorists can expect 10-to-20-minute delays during the maintenance period.

Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL’s Southern Regional Manager, said, “Motorists should adhere to the warning signs, reduce speed when approaching the construction zones and plan their trips accordingly as there are no alternative routes available.”

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

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MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL works with strategic partners to enable maximal transformation on N2 Wild Coast Road project

Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, 11 July 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has provided a detailed update of its efforts to ensure meaningful participation by targeted enterprises on its flagship N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project.
Providing a progress report during a SANRAL small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) Indaba held at the Lusikisiki Resource Centre on 10 July, Nwabisa Gxumisa, SANRAL’s District Office Manager, said, “SANRAL is happy with the opportunities that have benefitted local targeted enterprises on our N2WCR programme thus far, as well as the economic spin-offs that have been presented for the benefit of the communities. However, we have also identified gaps that inhibit us from surpassing our transformation goals.”

Gxumisa said that SANRAL had been working with strategic partners, including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Developmental Funding Institutions (DFIs) to ensure that the interventions intended for SMMEs are tailored to this sector for them to be fully effective.
“We need to have various funding models suitable to the SMME sector to enable access to funding and sustainable growth,” said Gxumisa, adding that some of the current solutions for SMMEs were not being fully leveraged due to cumbersome barriers.

The Mayor of Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Councillor Nonkosi Pepping, said that the legacy of the N2WCR project would be vast and was already being realised by the local community. She stressed that there is room for more transformation on the project. “We were happy that the engineers working at Msikaba Bridge are local engineers, and that locals are benefiting from these projects. But we want to see more participation by designated groups, including qualified and capable youth, women and people with disability.”

SANRAL invited the likes of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA), Standard Bank, Indyebo Fund, Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and Bell Equipment to engage on their solutions intended for emerging enterprises.

Kgolane Thulare, from the DSBD’s Business Infrastructure Unit, said, “It is important for these collaborations to occur between departments in order to reach our transformation goals,” he said while outlining the range of programmes the department is implementing to assist SMMEs, including their Craft Customised Programme, Shared Economic Infrastructure Facility and the Market Access Support programme. He also outlined the financial and non-financial support provided by its implementing agencies, SEFA and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) respectively. “Together with SANRAL we are also working on a SANRAL projects cluster tool to be able to devise streamlined interventions for SMMEs,” he added.

Siphethuxolo Wulana, an Investment Officer from SEFA, outlined a range of funding solutions intended for SMMEs, including the Township and Rural Enterprise Programme, the Youth Challenge Fund, Small Manufacturers Enterprise Programme and the Inyamazane Fund (for Military Veterans), which range between R50 000 to R15 million. Wulama said that SMMEs subcontracted on SANRAL projects could also benefit from SEFA’s Asset Finance and Contract Finance solutions.

Lungisile Mkhethwa, Relationship Manager at Standard Bank, said that relationship banking, working capital, and vehicle and asset finance are intended to assist SMMEs. “It is important for us as a bank to perform proper due diligence before providing capital. Our relationship banking offering assists small business owners with sound financial management.”

Lusanda Kali, of Indyebo Fund, a short-term capital provider specialising in solutions for SMMEs, said that subcontractors on SANRAL projects can benefit from their Purchase Order Funding of up to R2.5 million.

Thando Dlanjwa, of the ECDC’s Rural Development and Enterprise Development unit, encouraged the SMMEs to take advantage of their Rural and Enterprise Finance, Jobs Stimulus Fund and Imvaba Fund intended for cooperatives. “We appreciate this road infrastructure development programme by SANRAL which will facilitate economic activity and boost the socio-economic outlook of this area,” he added.

Fundile Ntsinde, of Bell Equipment, said that its new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SANRAL is intended to enable access to earthmoving machinery because access to funding is often a barrier for SMMEs. “We are aiming to leverage existing partnerships with DBSA, SEFA, Small Business Development and commercial banks to enhance the financial service offering and access to finance for small contractors,” he explained. He added that their three funding options available to SMMEs are cash or bank financing, rental with the option to purchase and an instalment sales agreement.

Reflecting on lessons learnt thus far, the N2WCR Business Forum Secretary, Lwandile Gcume, said that stakeholder management and cooperation among business stakeholders was vital for the N2WCR project’s success. “Social facilitation is important to address any contentious issues before any project can commence. SANRAL must appoint more social facilitators than are currently on the ground. There is also a need for local SMMEs, particularly grade 1s and 2s, to be capacitated and for SANRAL to consider relaxing some of the stringent criteria to enable their participation. We are happy that SANRAL has heeded our call and appointed an SMME Mentor for the project. This will greatly assist,” he said.

Gxumisa said that SANRAL’s R20 billion+ N2WCR flagship project stretching from the Gonubie Interchange outside East London, through the 112km greenfields from Ndwalane to Mthamvuna River on the border with KwaZulu-Natal, is anticipated to produce 8 000 direct jobs and around 28 000 indirect job opportunities.

Business stakeholders requested for more grant funding to be provided than loans and for relaxation of the stringent criteria that continues to exclude them from meaningful participation. SANRAL was also requested to put out more work packages on the Mtentu side of the project within the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality because more work is currently happening in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality.

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Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the SANRAL. For editorial content or additional information contact Lwando Mahlasela on 082 440 5305 or pressoffice@nra.co.za