These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.
BMW closes big chapter in South Africa
BMW has officially built the last third-generation X3 in South Africa.
The SUV has been in production since 2018 with more than 400,000 units making their way off the assembly line in Pretoria.
The carmaker is now preparing for the introduction of the next-gen models, which will go on sale in the final quarter of 2024.
South African army contracted to protect R5.7-billion megabridges
The South African National Defence Force has been brought in to protect contractors working on the Msikaba and Mtentu bridges in the Eastern Cape.
The two megabridges are the latest civil project to be targeted by the country’s various “construction mafias” trying to extort funds.
The mafia groups often demand money for “protection” and threaten contractors with violence when their extortion attempts are not met.
New car brand opening doors in South Africa this month
The Chinese carmaker Jetour has announced that it will open its doors to the South African public on 20 September 2024.
The company has already secured a network of 40 dealerships and established its headquarters in Midrand, Gauteng.
It will have two SUVs available at launch, with another two scheduled to arrive in 2025.
Good news for crumbling R21 highway to OR Tambo Airport
The repairs to the sinkholes on the R21 in Gauteng have reached an “advanced stage”, whereas the ongoing rehabilitation of the highway between Pomona and Olifantsfontein Interchanges is “progressing well,” the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) announced this week.
The sinkholes were formed on the busy highway leading to O.R Tambo Airport in February 2022 and have been in repair ever since. Sanral revealed earlier this year that the sinkholes will cost approximately R144 million to fix.
Meanwhile, Sanral commenced the rehabilitation of the tattered highway in early 2024, a project that is expected to continue until 2026.
E-tolls are going nowhere in South Africa – This is their new job
South Africa’s e-toll gantries are not going away, as they are being repurposed by the government.
The infrastructure will instead be used for “crime prevention” through the gantries’ CCTV camera network.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi recently confirmed that the province has taken over the surveillance system, which can be used to track speeding and stolen cars.
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