The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will invest in the upgrading and maintenance of national roads such as the N11 which will benefit the region of aMajuba. This was announced by Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL’s Regional Manager for KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provinces at a SANRAL stakeholder engagement event held at Madadeni Community Hall in aMajuba. Nkabinde said these projects offer local SMME’s significant opportunities for new business and provide important job creation within local communities and skills development through partnerships with established construction companies.

Key projects that SANRAL is prioritising extends beyond aMajuba District and will also include work along uThukela District municipality. The focus is on the upgrading of National road N11 outside Ladysmith and a new ring road around Newcastle town towards iNkunzi River. Other strategic projects on the horizon is the resurfacing of the N11 between Newcastle town and Volkrust and routine road maintenance running from Bergville to Ladysmith. The upgrade will include the construction of pedestrian facilities to improve road safety along the route.

Addressing local entrepreneurs, Mr Nkabinde emphasised SANRAL’s Transformation Policy which aims to ensure increased participation of black emerging companies in the construction industry.

SANRAL’s Horizon 2030 Strategy outlines how the National Roads Agency will use its multi-billion-rand infrastructure spend programme to drive transformation of the construction industry by enabling SMME’s to partner with more established construction companies on projects and also empowering locals by providing them with job opportunities. Furthermore, SANRAL has partnered with Yellow Machine leasing companies to assist in leasing and buying of equipment on favourable terms, offered exclusively to emerging construction companies awarded to do work on SANRAL projects.

Mr Nkabinde said: “The purpose of the Horizon 2030 Strategy is to showcase how SANRAL is assisting with and enabling the transformation of the construction industry and the South African economy.”

SANRAL will be using a vehicle already prescribed by National Treasury, the preferential procurement regulations of 2017, where a minimum of 30% of the contract value must be sublet to SMME’s.

Established companies would be required to partner with local SMME’s such as those in aMajuba to ensure that projects are delivered in order to benefit not only road users but drive economic prosperity through job creation to the community of aMajuba.

As part of SANRAL’s Beyond Roads mandate, Nkabinde raised awareness on project opportunities outside of construction such as upgrading of toll gates, maintenance of electrical and IT infrastructure, line marking and traffic signs all of which local SMME’s can be involved in.