NORTHERN CAPE PRODUCED BY SANRAL

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1 NORTHERN CAPE PRODUCED BY SANRAL The Northern Cape has a small population, considering its vast open spaces. SANRAL connects the people of this enormous province to each other and vital services, and opens up trade with the economic hubs of South Africa. We are proud of our work in the province and will continue to serve its people and economy @sanral_za SANRAL SANRAL Corporate

2 MESSAGES BUILDING PROSPERITY Skhumbuzo Macozoma WE CLOSED off 2017 with a series of public engagements in the Northern Cape, in both Upington and Kimberley, with a view to embrace change and transformation, not only within our organisation, but the communities in which we operate. We also took to the people our long-term strategy, paving the way for integrated and solution-based road transport initiatives, for the next decade. This year kicks off against a backdrop of massive change and progress in our country. We re excited. This year, there are some highly progressive projects under way in the Northern Cape and we want to assure the communities through which our construction projects pass, that we are committed to creating travel solutions that directly speak to their needs. We also want to ensure that communities and SMMEs draw economic benefit from our various construction projects. To this end we have worked extensively with our training partners to ensure that women in construction particularly are empowered with the knowledge of how to tender successfully for the various work opportunities the projects give rise to. Women-owned construction companies are making great strides in creating employment in their communities and contributing to the overall development and transformation of the sector. Road safety remains a key priority and as such, is a thread that runs through all projects, from planning and design. In the previous financial year, nearly R1.5bn was earmarked for the Northern Cape s roads, with mainstream construction accounting for nearly R870m thereof, while specific safety upgrades to a series of roads, including the Cape Town Road (N12), the Douglas Road (R357) and the Griekwastad Road (N8), was likely to require nearly R90m. Key to these upgrades is the conversion of traditional intersections to traffic circles just outside Kimberley, which is likely to contribute fundamentally to overall road safety. While we will do everything in our power to engineer safer roads, improved road user behaviour is just as important if we are to effectively reduce the carnage on our roads. We are very pleased with the work being done on the N12 between Hopetown and Kimberley, which will see the bridge over the being significantly widened in order to handle the ever-growing traffic load, as well as the installation of a pedestrian sidewalk on the upstream side. Another major project is the maintenance of the N7 between Okiep and Steinkopf, which will result in the national road being widened on both sides. This year, SANRAL celebrates its 20th anniversary. What better way to commemorate this than to continue playing our part in building South Africa through better roads! Skhumbuzo Macozoma is SANRAL s CEO THE PEOPLE S ROADS... Mxolisi Simon Sokatsha GEOGRAPHICALLY, the Northern Cape is the largest province in South Africa, taking up nearly a third of the land space in our country and yet we have the smallest population, a meagre 1.19m people. Distances between our towns, cities and rural communities are vast and sound road infrastructure is critical to our existence. But our partnership with SANRAL is not only in building roads in our province. More importantly, the roads agency maintains and upgrades our existing network infrastructure. This plays a massive role in our ability to move our people and goods safely through our province and connect to developmental opportunities in the rest of South Africa. We heartily welcome the widening of the bridge over the on the N12 between Hopetown and Kimberley, as it will fundamentally improve the ability of the road to accommodate the ever-increasing freight traffic to and from Kimberley, as well as the overall driving experience for all motorists. The recent upgrades to the N12 between Riverton and Windsorton, which includes the repair of pavement defects, pre-treatment and reseal of approximately 26km of road and the upgrading of rest areas, intersections and access roads, also contributes significantly to safer roads. As we wrap up the festive season road safety statistics, we are reminded of just how vulnerable road users are, especially pedestrians. I must commend the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) team in the Northern Cape for the outstanding work done in communicating and dispatching emergency medical services every time someone was in distress on our roads. The team (including SANRAL, provincial and municipal traffic, police, fire and rescue and emergency services) has worked tirelessly to save lives. The system works like a well-oiled machine and we are deeply grateful to these heroes. We look forward to a prosperous 2018, when job creation will remain a priority for our people. Where opportunities in road construction exist, we will act swiftly to enable local communities to draw economic benefit from them, always bearing in mind that roads are not just built for vehicles, but for people. Mxolisi Simon Sokatsha is the Northern Cape MEC for the department of roads and public works 2 Building South Africa through better roads

3 ENGINEERING THE N12 is a key transit route that links Kimberley and the surrounding Northern Cape towns to Cape Town and the greater Western Cape. A heavy thoroughfare for large vehicles transporting a variety of materials, this route is an economic lifeline for the cities and towns it connects. SANRAL has identified two bridges on the N12 (section 9) to be widened and improved, greatly increasing their lifespan. The original bridges, located approximately 3km from Hopetown, were built in 1958 (B2483, spanning 31.2m) and 1985 (B2482, spanning 320m). Considering their age, they were still in remarkably good condition. The upgrades were needed to ensure the continued safety of the structures, as well as an improved road user experience. As the local population grows and businesses expand, upgrading infrastructure becomes extremely important. The decline of rail freight has added pressure on the road network to absorb the increased road freight load. The construction work includes repairs to and widening of the bridges to allow safer passage of traffic, as well as an extended pedestrian walkway along the route. While the smaller of the two bridges had little or no water running underneath it, the other sits over the. This bridge posed significant challenges for construction workers in terms of safe access and they had to work hard to mitigate the environmental impact of building access routes around the area. This, along with the significant height at which some of the operations were carried out, required work of the utmost precision, frequently testing the nerves of those involved. Many pedestrians from surrounding communities walk alongside this road to access the local fuel station and convenience store, often placing themselves at great risk from fast-moving traffic, so the improved pedestrian walkway will help ensure safety. Improved traffic flow, along with dedicated areas for bicycles and pedestrians, stronger parapet systems and guardrails with effective emergency areas have created a much better environment for users of this economic artery, said SANRAL Project Manager Tiago Massingue. The management, maintenance and upgrade of the national road network are of vital importance, not only for national infrastructure growth and development, but also local economic development. SANRAL remains committed to constructing roads that speak directly to the needs of the people. The agency regularly engages with stakeholders to ensure that its projects offer sustainable and practical answers to the economic, infrastructure and safety needs of local communities. We have invested just short of R100m into this project, Massingue said, of which approximately R20m is targeted at SMMEs from the surrounding areas. The first construction work started in July 2016, which has created significant opportunities for local labour. The tangible benefits of job creation, education and training will remain long after completion of the project, and will enable the local communities to access further developmental and economic opportunities. Hello Northern Cape 3

4 PROACTIVE SAFETY OVERHAUL Road safety is a major priority for SANRAL and significant safety upgrades are under way in the Northern Cape, specifically just outside Kimberley CONSTRUCTION has recently started for the upgrading of the three major intersections on the R31 Main Road, between Barkly West and Landbou Road. The intersections will be turned into traffic circles. The upgrade will also include a new access road, midway between the R31/R357 and N8/R31 intersections. The objective is to improve not just the smoothness of the ride, but road safety as well. The intersections in their current form experience regular traffic incidents caused by speeding vehicles. This has caused many serious injuries among drivers and passengers and in some instances even death. An intersection has 24 pedestrian and 32 vehicle conflict points. These are places where the paths of turning vehicles diverge, merge, or cross each other, meanwhile a traffic circle has only eight, and clearly makes circles a safer alternative. SANRAL s Western Region Manager Kobus van der Walt said that there will be added safety for pedestrians and night drivers. This contract makes provision for surfaced sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, along with kerbed, surfaced median islands within each roundabout approach. The installation of street lighting at each of the three roundabouts and their approaching roads has a significant safety benefit for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists during nighttime conditions, as accidents frequently happen early in the morning or late at night, when visibility is compromised, he said. Just short of R90m has been earmarked for this upgrade project. SANRAL is committed to creating engineering solutions for safer roads. However, the buy-in of all road users, including pedestrians, is needed, so that road safety can become a way FOR CROSSINGS of life, and not just awareness campaigns in the aftermath of a tragedy. With the festive season firmly behind us and the Easter Holidays looming in the distance, the people of the Northern Cape have their work cut out. Last year, media reports indicated that the Northern Cape had the highest spike in road deaths over the Easter period 175%. This is alarming and the conscious commitment of every road user is needed to put an end to the carnage. Though SANRAL is being proactive about saving Northern Cape road users time, trouble and injury with this project, we acknowledge that enduring road works when you re a driver can cause its own hassles. Road works inevitably give rise to traffic delays, particularly in the absence of alternative routes, said van der Walt. The patience and cooperation of residents is deeply appreciated and we cannot stress enough the importance of extra vigilance and awareness when travelling through the construction areas. SMALL PROJECTS, BIG IMPACT AS PART of the reseal work on the N12, SMMEs from Britstown and surrounds will shortly have the opportunity to tender for small projects that involve pavement upgrades on the N12 going through Britstown. Several SMMEs attended training programmes to help them understand tendering and requirements for doing business with SANRAL. This opens opportunities for them to compete for work that will be rolled out in the first quarter of The projects include two work packages for the upgrading of pavements specifically on the N12 in Britstown, as well as between six and eight work packages for other pavement upgrades spread throughout the town. Opportunities like these are crucial for local economic development and allow small businesses to grow and contribute to their communities. The construction industry is making enormous strides in this regard, hopefully setting the tone for other industries to find more creative ways to extend economic participation for marginalised communities, particularly where access to the formal job market is limited by distance, available skills and education. Kobus van der Walt, SANRAL Western Region Manager, said: We are committed to building South Africa s knowledge economy, which is why we focus on transferring skills and sharing knowledge through all our projects. It s even more effective when those skills that have been acquired can be put to use in the pursuit of economic opportunities. The SMMEs will not only have the opportunity to gain economically they will also be able to make a dent in the huge unemployment figures in this community, giving gainful employment to the local labour force. SANRAL will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that our construction projects not only expand the road network, but positively impact the lives of the people in the towns along these roads in as many ways as possible, for as long as possible. 4 Building South Africa through better roads

5 PROSPECTS SMALL BUSINESS, BIG IMPACT We drive local development so that small businesses can take the wheel EXTENDING economic opportunities to SMMEs across the communities where SANRAL is building is a key priority in our vision to make our construction projects more about flesh and blood than about asphalt. Historically, the big guns of the construction sector seemed to dominate the industry, often being accused of squeezing out start-ups or emerging businesses. As part of our long-term vision of economic and social inclusion, and the Horizon 2030 strategy that will take us there, we have created a platform for small businesses, especially black- and woman-owned, to derive economic benefits from our road construction projects. But it s not just about opening up contracts, said SANRAL s Western Region Manager, Kobus van der Walt. Simply giving SMMEs access to contracts and work opportunities is not enough. The historical imbalances of the past have left South Africa with a huge section of society that simply does not have access to the higher education required to derive long-term benefit from developmental opportunities. To this end, we provide active training for small business owners. These strive to enable them to plan, prepare and submit workable tenders that have been carefully calculated to ensure competitiveness, but also create an opportunity for them to profit from the contract, he said. So when the Britstown community raised concerns about having access to work contracts, SANRAL and its training service providers made sure those interested in competing fairly for business were upskilled to give them the best possible opportunity to tender for work. Geoff Lanham from the Academy for Construction Skills, who has travelled all over the country to train SMMEs, said: Accuracy in costing and forecasting were issues that many business owners battled with and significant time was spent making sure they had it firmly under their belt. The material was simple to understand, practical and the classes were highly interactive. This gave the small business owners the opportunity to bring very specific matters to the classroom and solve actual problems rather than purely hypothetical cases. Under the banner of women in construction, this training was offered to women-owned businesses during Women s Month. Women from all over the region, including Northern Cape entrepreneurs, made the journey to Cape Town to learn, network and share their skills and experience in what many still find to be a male-dominated sector. Van der Walt said: Women-owned construction businesses are growing and adding significant value to the industry, while at the same time creating employment opportunities in their communities. We remain committed to extending developmental opportunities for SMMEs and in particular womenowned business to grow and prosper in this industry. LOCAL LABOUR LOBBY Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Sharon Steyn gives us a local perspective on the needs of the Northern Cape More than R200m was allocated for special maintenance of the N7 between Okiep and Steinkopf. What effect has this project had on the area? That section of the road used to be incredibly narrow. We are highly pleased with the upgrade (the road was widened on both sides), which ensured much safer passage, particularly for trucks and other heavy vehicles. It also ensures a more pleasant driving experience, specifically in the valuable tourist market. The increase in freight traffic is, of course, always a good thing in terms of encouraging investment into our region. The widening of the bridge over the is set to be completed before winter. This project carries a budget of nearly R100m. Have you seen a significant impact on local labour? We are pleased that SANRAL is recognising the importance of using the local labour market. The Northern Cape has the highest unemployment figures in our country and every effort needs to be made to address that at scale. We are still not seeing enough being done to extend work opportunities to local labourers and local SMMEs. SANRAL is a major advocate of advancing work opportunities to locals whenever construction work passes through their towns. What is the Chamber doing to encourage other businesses to support the local labour market? As a channel that connects businesses, we will always seek to advance developmental opportunities to the local labour market. They make up a huge cohort of our society and as captains of industry we need to find more ways to connect them to economic opportunities. As a whole, our local labour is still largely out in the cold. We will continue to lobby not only for their training and development, but also for them to access gainful employment, even if it is only in short bursts at a time. In the interest of road safety, SANRAL is upgrading three major intersections on the R31 Main Road. How costly are motor vehicle accidents to the regional economy? I don t have accurate figures to this end, but judging by the frequency of fatal crashes in the region nearly every weekend the cost is huge. More importantly, the loss of life is what we cannot put a price on. We welcome the upgrades of those intersections into traffic circles, which we agree are less hazardous. And we appeal to road users to spare a thought not only for their own safety, but also that of other road users. The additional lighting is another major improvement for which we are very grateful. Hello Northern Cape 5

6 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How long has SANRAL been around? This year, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) celebrates 20 years in operation in South Africa. It was established in April 1998 by an act of Parliament, as an independent statutory company, with the Minister of Transport as the sole shareholder. SANRAL remains committed to its mandate to finance, improve, manage and maintain South Africa s expanding national road network, which currently spans km. What s the split between national and provincial roads in the Northern Cape? The Northern Cape has 3 257km of national roads, 4 989km of provincial surfaced roads and km of provincial gravel roads. Which construction projects in the Northern Cape fall under SANRAL s jurisdiction? N12 section 9-10 Hopetown to NC/NW Border N18 section 1 Kimberley to Hartswater N8 section 6-8 Groblershoop to Kimberley N12 section 5-8 Three Sisters to Hopetown N10 section 5-8 Ludlow to Prieska R27 section 7-9 Vanrhynsdorp to Brandvlei N7 section 7-8 WC/NC Border to Vioolsdrift N14 section 1 3 Springbok to Keimoes R27 section Brandvlei to Keimoes N10 section 9-12 Prieska to Nakop N14 section 4-8 Keimoes to Kuruman How do I do business with SANRAL? SANRAL s targeted procurement philosophy is aimed at broad-based BEE, thus contributing to economic growth in our country and the southern African region as a whole. This includes training historically disadvantaged individuals to become economically active, reducing unemployment and stimulating growth in the small and informal sectors of our economy. In this way, the agency enhances the provision of basic services, builds capacity and acts as a catalyst for development. To make the process truly inclusive, and in recognition of the opportunities offered to promote and develop entrepreneurs through routine road maintenance, SANRAL revisited its contract model to produce the following performancebased outcomes: The main contractor operates as a management contractor Low entry barriers for small contractors are maintained There is no exploitation of small contractors 80% or more of the work is to be executed by small contractors, of which 90% is to be executed by black companies Skills development and mentoring The procurement process for the appointment of small contractors is by public advertisement, prequalification, adjudication and award. Specifications include the targeting of local labour and women. Project Liaison Committees (PLCs) are established on our projects in order to oversee the community s socioeconomic requirements. These are made up of people from SANRAL, the engineering concern, the main contractor and members of the local community. The establishment of these PLCs ensures active community involvement in local SANRAL projects. Where are SANRAL tenders advertised? All first-tier tenders can be found in the following publications: Government Printing Works Tender Bulletin: E-tender portal National Treasury: Daily Tenders Lead2business: SANRAL website: SAFCEC: CIDB: Subcontracting tenders are advertised in specific local and regional newspapers linked to the areas in which the services will be rendered. Does SANRAL offer bursaries? We do. SANRAL continues to support skills development in engineering and the built environment. In the last financial year, the bursary scheme gave educational opportunities to 108 undergraduate and 14 postgraduate students to pursue engineering qualifications at a range of SA universities, while 196 learners benefited from scholarships at top schools around the country. Bursary application forms can be found on the SANRAL website: or info@nra.co.za 6 Building South Africa through better roads

7 PERSPECTIVE MANAGING INCIDENTS IN VAST SPACES Every second counts in an emergency. We are here to help THE Northern Cape is the largest of our country s nine provinces, comprising 30.5% of South Africa s land area, with 3 257km of national roads, 4 989km of provincial surfaced roads and km of provincial gravel roads. It is bordered nationally by the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, and internationally by Botswana and Namibia. While this province sees fewer fatalities on its roads than other provinces, road safety remains a core priority. So while it is worth noting that there may not be as many fatal crashes on Northern Cape roads, there is still a large number of incidents recorded. In a study conducted between 2014 and 2016, the Northern Cape has recorded in excess of incidents. Approximately 800 of those were fatal. In 2010, the UN declared the Decade of Action for Road Safety. One of the key pillars of the organisation s Global Plan is to improve post-crash response. Robust road incident management supports this pillar. The Northern Cape has six Centralised Communication Centres (CCCs) that operate 24 hours a day. Their role is to dispatch all relevant services required at the scene of a traffic incident. When an incident occurs on the road, a set of coordinated activities is initiated via the CCCs to minimise the primary and secondary effects of the incident, as well as to restore normal road capacity and safety as soon as possible. A range of different responders are required to converge on incident scenes, from emergency services and police to fire and traffic officers. In line with SANRAL s vision to contribute to safer roads, the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) was established to coordinate all responders, making the management of incident scenes more efficient, safe and successful. Non-emergency services which include SANRAL, towing services, spill clean-up teams and specialist services focus on minimising the impact on other road users by cleaning up and restoring the site quickly. The distances between towns in the Northern Cape are vast. Should an incident occur that sees a truck lose its load and cause a road to be closed to traffic, commuters, businesses, and other services are affected for long periods. While such an incident may not be life-threatening, delayed response from emergency services, clean-up crew and road rehabilitation teams can have serious consequences. SANRAL remains steadfast in its commitment to not only design, finance, improve, manage and maintain the national road network, but to also constantly invest in technology and tools that will improve user experience on our roads, with incidents causing as little disruption as possible. CENTRALISED COMMUNICATION CENTRE CONTACT NUMBERS Kimberley /5 De Aar Calvinia Springbok Upington Kuruman Hello Northern Cape 7

8 WHERE ARE WE? 18 E 21 E 24 E BOTSWANA $ N4 Molopo River LIMPOPO R49 Rietspruit Zeerust Marico River Marico River F Molopo River Molopo River R49 R505 NORTH WEST NAMIBIA Fish River Lowenrivier Nossobrivier Auob River Molopo River Kuruman River Moshaweng River Harts River R52 R503 R S 27 S $N18 Schweizer-Reneke Wolmaransstad Bothaville SANRAL ROADS NORTHERN CAPE NORTHERN CAPE Nababeep Buffelsrivier $N14 Sout River Sout River R360 $N10 Kameelputs R27 $N10 $ N14 Carnavon Leegte $ $ $ N8 N8 N8 Prieska Riet River Harts River Vaal River Harts River Vaal River Barkly West Warrenton Leeurivier KIMBERLEY Vaal River Christiana FREE STATE Riet River Bloemhof Brandfort BLOEMFONTEIN $ N8 Kaffer River Vetrivier Kaffer River Kromspruit Secondary Towns Major Cities Other Roads SANRAL Regional Roads SANRAL National Roads Provincial Boundary 30 S 30 S Groen River Groot-bergrivier Olifantsrivier Olifantsrivier Groot-bergrivier R27 Olifantsrivier Grootrivier Doringrivier Calvinia Tankwarivier R27 Fish River Fish River Tankwarivier Ongeluksrivier Grootrivier Tankwarivier Renoster River Klein-Rietrivier Rietrivier Sakrivier Sakrivier Gamkarivier TIMELINE: WIDENING OF TWO BRIDGES (B2482 & B2483) ON N12 SECTION 9 NEAR HOPETOWN - NORTHERN CAPE Leeurivier Carnarvon Leeurivier Trakarivier Trakarivier Ongers River Buffelsrivier Kariega River Ongers River Grootrivier Brak River R63 Colesberg Noupoort $ N9 R56 $ N9 EASTERN CAPE R61 R63 Bedford Adelaide Vredenburg R63 33 S R75 33 S Kilometers WESTERN CAPE $ N $ N9 Touws River 18 E 21 E 24 E $N12 $N12 $N10 R63 R61 Sondagsrivier R390 R390 Great Fish River R58 Tarkarivier Burgersdorp Koonaprivier Molteno Tarkarivier New Year's River Date: 2017/09/05 SEPT 2016 JUL 2016 Construction contract commencement: Preliminary Work on B st Phase: Access to Pier 6 to 12 North Abutment, Mass Concrete Footings- Piers / Parallel work on B2483 OCT 2017 Completion of Northern Abutment - Pier 6 to 12 Mass Concrete Footings - Piers 3 JUL 2017 NOV 2017 Placement of Precast- Pretension Beams Spans 6 to 12, followed by spans 1 to JUL 2017 Completion of construction of Pier 1 to 5 plus the Southern Abutment SEPT 2017 Construction of Parapets Span 6 to 12; Completion of the Southern and Northern Abutments 4 10 OCT 2017 Placement of newly pre cast Post tensioned reinforced concrete I Beams Spans 6 to 12 5 OCT DEC 2017 Construction of Transverse Beam Spans 6 to 12 and 1 to 5, respectively 7 NOV 2017 Phase 2: Access, Construction: Mass Concrete Footings, Piers 1 to 5 8 JUN 2017 Start with the Deck Construction 11 OCT 2017 Coping on the bridge upstream, construction of the footpath; Road Accesses Layer works APR 2018 Estimated completion date 8 Building South Africa through better roads