Pilot initiative for revitalisation of rural roads starts in Free State

BLOEMFONTEIN – In an effort to improve the efficient movement of agricultural commodities in rural Free State, an important step was taken to formalise planning and prioritising revitalisation of rural roads.

The efficient movement of agricultural commodities, from farms to silos, processing facilities, and final markets, depends heavily on a reliable provincial road network. However, current infrastructure challenges are contributing to increased vehicle operating costs and broader economic inefficiencies.

A memorandum of collaboration (MoC) was signed in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 21 February by Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), Agriculture South Africa (AgriSA) and the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agrbiz) to establishing a structured framework to guide joint modelling and prioritisation processes.

The agreement comes after months in which the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure lead by Minister Dean Macpherson together with ISA engaged extensively with the agricultural community of the Free State.

The MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure in the Free State, Dibolelo Mance, said this is the first time that a comprehensive mapping of roads in the Free State has been undertaken. “We are very excited that the pilot project started in the Free State.”

Mcpherson explained at the signing ceremony that the vision for this pilot initiative began in 2024. “We know that the Free State is the centre of agriculture in South Africa. Produce that is sent by road ends up sold on shelves across the country. After months of hard work, we now have solid data that will be refined to stand at the centre of decision making about the upgrading of roads in the Free State.”

ISA in its research looked at around 5000 local and provincial roads. They focussed on key routes going from farms to silo’s and on to manufacturing plants.

Mameetse Masemola, head of ISA and Dr Hubert Joynt, Programme Manager of the Centre of Excellence at the ISA, explained the process in which the mapping was done.

With the data now at hand, AgriSA and Agribiz and its members will assist ISA to refine the model with more detail on road conditions and improvements that need to be made listing priorities that will enhance decision making.