The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has secured a pivotal 7 billion rand loan agreement with the New Development Bank (NDB), the financial institution established by the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).
The signing ceremony took place in Johannesburg on 22 July, with Sanral’s board and NDB representatives in attendance; NDB’s financing is explicitly denominated in rand to shield South Africa from foreign‑exchange risk and interest volatility.
This infusion will support upgrades along critical national routes—specifically parts of the N3 and N1 highways, including sections from Paradise Valley to Marianhill Toll Plaza, Marianhill to Key Ridge, Zandkraal to Scottland, and Scottland to Winburg South. Together, these projects represent roughly R12.7 billion in planned investment.
Key elements of the programme include rehabilitation of existing tolled pavements, construction of additional lanes, and overhaul of bridges and intersections.
This financing marks a turning point. In 2019, Sanral failed to access a similar NDB loan due to lack of a government guarantee and concerns tied to outstanding debt from the then‑scrapped Gauteng e‑toll scheme; treasury had refused to back the earlier facility citing low toll compliance and repayment uncertainty.
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