Motorists could soon pay to use this section of South Africa’s N1

A 1.1-kilometre section of the N1 highway near the Beitbridge border crossing in Limpopo could become a toll road, potentially requiring motorists travelling between South Africa and Zimbabwe to pay to use the stretch.

According to Newsday, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy disclosed the proposal in a written response to a parliamentary question from National Assembly member George Michalakis, who asked which national roads were being considered for tolling.

The proposed section is located in Musina Local Municipality, near the South Africa-Zimbabwe border. The process has progressed to public consultation, although the available information does not confirm that toll collection has begun or provide a proposed tariff.

‘The Notice of Intent to Toll was published on 15 August 2025 in Government Gazette 53178,’ Creecy said.

‘Public consultations have been completed, and a consultation report has been prepared and submitted to the SANRAL Board for its review.’

Major national routes

Creecy also confirmed that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) had not submitted any applications for toll-road declarations for consideration and approval during the 2025/26 financial year. The Beitbridge proposal, however, had been submitted and approved for public consultation.

The N1 is one of South Africa’s principal transport corridors, linking Cape Town, Gauteng and Limpopo before reaching Zimbabwe. Any tolling of the border section could affect motorists, cross-border travellers and freight operators using the route.

The proposal comes as road users continue to face toll charges on major national routes. According to IOL, SANRAL increased toll tariffs by 3.12% from 1 March 2026. The publication reported that a one-way journey between Johannesburg and Beitbridge cost R357.50 for a light vehicle under the applicable toll structure.

Separate decision

The development follows a separate decision to close Gauteng’s controversial e-toll scheme. In June 2026, the government confirmed that outstanding historical e-toll debt would be written off, while emphasising that the user-pays principle remained part of the country’s road infrastructure funding framework.

The *South African government *said the decision was intended to provide certainty and finality on the historical debt.

The Beitbridge proposal is a separate process from the discontinued Gauteng e-toll scheme. The next steps depend on the review of the consultation report and the relevant toll-road approval process.

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**Picture and Words: **Wikipedia /Betha Madhomu

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