Top 10 Longest Roads In South Africa (2023)

Truthfully, South Africa can boast of having some of the most superb roads in the continent of Africa. These are carefully and skillfully constructed roads that are well designed and durable too. They transverses all types of terrain too – from narrow coastal plains to rugged mountains. But that isn’t all there is to these impressive roads. The fact remains that some of them are pretty long. In fact, South Africa has some of the longest road network you will find around.

South Africa’s large road network covers a superb 7 200 kilometres in all. The 10 longest roads In South Africa includes: N2, N1, N12, N14, N10, Route 62, N11, N4, N7, and N3. It is not surprising that they are usually national routes.

Top 10 Longest Roads In South Africa

1. N2

This is the longest tarred road in the country, and indeed, one of the most significant of its kind in Africa. The N2 is a whopping 2 255 kilometres lone, and is the longest numbered route here. The road, which is one of South Africa’s national roads, is also one of the most dangerous roads around (not only in South Africa, but in the world). Hence, users are usually admonished to use it responsibly.

The N2 stretches from the docks in Cape Town to Mpumalanga (Ermelo), and can be pretty busy at some certain times.

2. N1

This road is not just the second longest in the country, but it is also a pretty significant one for good reasons. It is the first section of the well known “Cape to Cairo” way, making it one of the busiest around. This is because, a lot of travelers must make use of the N1 to commute between Cape Town and Johannesburg (it generally runs from Cape Town to the Limpopo River).

This significant South African national road stretches 1 937 kilometres, making it one of the longest roads even in Africa as a whole.

3. N12

Coming next is another major national road – the N12. It is a 1 170 kilometre stretch of road which connects Johannesburg and Beaufort West. The road is important to many travellers and commuters for obvious roads, and can also be very busy at certain times. Also famously known as the N12 Treasure Route, this road is attached with some of the country’s most historic diamond mining areas and towns. Hence, it is significant in several ways.

4. N14

Another national road in South Africa, which is 1 186 kilometres in length. It runs from Springbok (Northern Cape) to Pretoria (Gauteng), traversing several landscapes of different pedigrees. The N14 travels through a lot of great and historic South African towns in the Northern Cape.

5. N10

This is one of the longest roads around here (998 kilometres). The N10 national route passes significant South African spots like the popular Orange River in the Northern Cape. It starts at Nakop (the Namibian border) and runs till Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape). The N10 also interestingly runs through the historic towns of Upington, De Aar, etc.

6. Route 62

Route 62 is a pretty long one (850 kilometres) that starts in the Cape Winelands. It can thus be aptly described and regarded as the sixth longest road in South Africa. Indeed, the road travels through several paths of diverse significance, down to Port Elizabeth. Interestingly, Route 62 is one of the longest wine routes in the globe, as it passes through many significant wine-growing regions.

7. N11

Here is another national road that was skillfully constructed and built. The N11 travels for 660 kilometres, making it one of the longest around. It starts from Ladysmith (KwaZulu-Natal), connecting several significant places together. Therefore, it is being used by many commuters and travellers all around the country. In fact, it was made known that over 1000 trucks ply this road each day.

One of the factors we can talk about which actually promoted the significance of this road is the fact that it is a well-known secondary option to the M3 between Gauteng with KwaZulu-Natal. Hence, a lot of users and commuters can’t but make do with the N11.

8. N4

This national road is also here as it stretches 650 kilometres. It starts from the Skilpadshek border post in North West through Gauteng and connects a whole lot of places together, making transportation reasonable to the plethora of its users. The N4 directly link the east and west coasts of the country and is thus a very significant in various ways.

9. N7

Coming up next is another major national road – the N7. It stretches 666 kilometres and is used by a lot of commuters on a daily basis. Starting from Cape Town in the Western Cape, the N7 runs down the border post of Namibia in the Northern Cape, traversing different beautiful and attractive towns along the way. Obviously, the road was carefully constructed and built to cater for its rigours.

10. N3

Lastly, the N3, which runs 578 kilometres. It connects Johannesburg and Durban, making this national route very busy highway which is constantly used by so many commuters every now and then. The road linked the country’s financial and commercial heartland as well as its key port. Therefore, the N3 usually witness a high volume of traffic on many occasions, for obvious reasons.

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In Conclusion

In spite the fact that there are several long roads around here, these are the top 10 longest roads in South Africa, and the length is a proof that they are in a different class entirely. These roads are not just very long in length, but they are of good quality. They have been made with superb materials and are thus strong and durable. For instance, we can’t ignore the fact that motor graders played an integral part in constructing all of these significant roads in the country, as well as other things.