South African road agency pays its managers R4.5 million per year
Senior management at the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) can earn up to R4.5 million per year.
This was revealed by Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy in response to a parliamentary question from National Assembly member George Michalakis.
Michalakis asked the minister about the number of professional engineers, engineering technologists, and engineering technicians at SANRAL.
He also asked for the number of specified professionals registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa in the relevant professional category.
Additionally, he asked for the minimum and maximum annual remuneration packages payable to engineering categories at the state-owned company.
In response, Creecy revealed that SANRAL employs 101 professional engineers, 19 engineering technologists, 3 engineering technicians, and 89 candidate engineers.
She further revealed that 123 of the professionals are registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.
Her response included a breakdown of the salaries for engineering staff employed by SANRAL, which range from R329,000 per year for junior candidates, up to R1.004 million per year for skilled technical workers.
Professional engineers and mid-managers earn between R701,000 and R2.137 million per annum, and engineering managers, provincial heads, and senior managers earn between R1.489 million and R4.506 million.
The following table shows the salaries paid by SANRAL in 2026:
| Pay Grade | Minimum | Median | Maximum |
| Candidate Project Engineers | |||
| C1 | R329,400 | R439,200 | R549,000 |
| Skilled technical and academically qualified workers, junior management, supervisors, foremen, superintendents | |||
| C2 | R382,800 | R510,400 | R638,000 |
| C3 | R445,500 | R594,000 | R742,500 |
| C4 | R517,700 | R690,300 | R862,900 |
| C5 | R602,600 | R803,500 | R1,004,400 |
| Junior Project Engineers / Project Managers / Specialist Engineers / Sectional Heads | |||
| D10 | R701,000 | R934,700 | R1,168,400 |
| D2 | R815,600 | R1,087,500 | R1,356,400 |
| D3 | R947,900 | R1,263,900 | R1,579,900 |
| D4 | R1,102,700 | R1,470,200 | R1,837,800 |
| D5 | R1,282,000 | R1,709,300 | R2,136,600 |
| Engineering Managers / Provincial Heads | |||
| E1 | R1,488,600 | R1,984,800 | R2,481,000 |
| E2 | R1,727,900 | R2,303,800 | R2,879,800 |
| Senior Management | |||
| E3 | R2,006,000 | R2,674,700 | R3,343,400 |
| E4 | R2,329,100 | R3,105,400 | R3,881,800 |
| E5 | R2,703,300 | R3,604,400 | R4,505,500 |
SANRAL investigating contracts linked to dodgy businessman
In September 2026, a Zimbabwean businessman, Lawrence Mudzinganyama, was recorded threatening women at a restaurant in Sandton, Gauteng.
Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Mudzinganyama’s Moriel Infrastructure Group was a contractor for SANRAL.
Following public outcry over his comments, where he threatened to “put a bullet in the head” of the woman who rejected his advances, SANRAL announced that it would investigate his contracts.
“At the request of Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, SANRAL is also investigating whether the Moriel Infrastructure Group was lawfully appointed by the roads agency and whether it is fulfilling its contractual obligations,” it said.
Member of the National Assembly Thalente Thuthukani Sakhike Kubheka asked Creecy for an update on the situation in a parliamentary question on 20 October.
She said that the investigation into Mariel Infrastructure Group’s dealings with SANRAL is still ongoing.
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