MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL DONATES LEARNING EQUIPMENT FOR BOVAAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL LEARNERS
SANRAL recently handed over learning equipment to Bovaal Agricultural School learners
Free State Province, 5 August 2025 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) commemorated Nelson Mandela International Day in the Free State Province by donating learning equipment for learners of Bovaal Agricultural School in Bothaville this past week. The learning equipment included laptops to assist with digital literacy, gym equipment to promote physical wellness, and agricultural equipment to support the learners in practical learning in agricultural studies as well as to prepare them for real-world farming and agri-business applications.
This meaningful initiative by the road agency was part of its ongoing endeavours aimed at uplifting communities that live alongside its national road network.
“In line with SANRAL’s commitment to building communities beyond roads, this year’s Mandela Day activity for the Free State Province took place in Bothaville because this area hosts an active Urgent Routine Road Maintenance Project on the R30 national road which is being upgraded by SANRAL. Upgrading this national road will greatly assist in ensuring a safer and well-maintained road infrastructure for residents and road users. The R30 national road is one of the roads that was recently handed over to SANRAL by the Free State Provincial Government,” said Thandeka Ngema, SANRAL’s Acting Stakeholder Relations Coordinator for the Free State Province.
Bovaal Agricultural School is a public institution which delivers agriculturally based education to learners from surrounding rural communities. The school plays an important role in equipping young minds with technical skills in farming and agri-science, sectors which are critical to the region’s socio-economic development, which is predominantly agricultural driven.
Expressing his gratitude, Bovaal Agricultural School’s Principal, Hendrik Kleynhans, said the school is fortunate to have been identified by SANRAL for its Mandela Day initiative.
“On behalf of the school management, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to SANRAL for this equipment, and we undertake to look after it with care. This equipment is going to assist us greatly with our mandate of delivering agriculturally based education. This year is our tenth consecutive year where we received a 100% pass rate. Last year, we had learners from these rural areas achieving Level 7 in Mathematics, with a 67% Bachelor rate,” said Kleynhans.
Nelson Mandela International Day is a global initiative that is rooted in the core values of community upliftment and empowerment, education development and infrastructure support, echoing the ethos of “67 minutes” inspired by former President Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
For SANRAL, this year’s initiative was aimed at supporting a community institution that aligns itself directly with the South African government’s mandate, which includes economic participation through rural and township development and agricultural revitalisation.
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