08.06.2025
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Poor road infrastructure limits economic growth: Economist

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An economist at the North West University says deteriorating infrastructure has negatively affected the province’s economy. Olebogeng Baikgaki’s statement comes amid motorists’ complaints about the poor state of roads in the province.

It also comes ahead of the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s third budget, which is expected to be tabled on Wednesday.

Godongwana’s rejected budget in March had indicated that the provincial Roads Department would fix more than 16 000 kilometres of roads.

Meanwhile, the roads agency SANRAL, which is maintaining 40 roads in the North West, is expected to spend an estimated R30 million on road projects in the province in the current financial year. Baikgaki says the provincial economy cannot grow if roads remain potholed.

“If we have poor road infrastructure that will have negative impact on the vehicle performance, fuel performance, fuel efficiency will be affected by this and again the issue of access to the market might be a problem because now people won’t be able to access the markets because they’ll have to drive around and take long to arrive at certain markets. It’s not going to be easy if we have poor road infrastructure for people to move about, especially companies. Be it manufacturing, be it agricultural products, they cannot be moved with ease.”

 

 

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