On 30^th June-1^st July and 4^th to 6^th July, I travelled by road on the Trans Kalahari Corridor, from Johannesburg to Walvis Bay, to attend the UNCECA workshop.

Some points noted along the route:

1. Widening of the road is taking place in the hills near Rustenburg in South Africa.  The high volume of traffic in this area makes this widening necessary.
2. A new and extensive border posts is being built at Skilpadshek (South Africa).  It looks as though it will have drive-through facilities.
3. It takes too long to purchase road fund/insurance tokens at the Pioneer Gate (Botswana border).  There is only one window and the process is quite slow.
4. The road through Botswana is good, with few potholes.  There is a section East of Kang where the base is collapsing.
5. The lack of fencing along the road in Botswana is still a problem.  Some stretches between Sekoma and Kang have been fenced very effectively, with cattle grids in the road at both ends of the sections.  But these stretches are each only 5-6 kms in length and there are around 7 of them.  This programme needs to be completed.  No wild animals, apart from warthog, were seen in Botswana, so it is unlikely that animal migration plays an important role in the fencing of the route.
6. The route is generally short of Trans Kalahari Corridor signs.
7. The road in Namibia between Trans Kalahari and Windhoek is also good, although not quite as wide as in Botswana.  Fencing is good.
8. There is need to complete the Eastern section of the Windhoek bypass ringroad.  Also to upgrade the section between Windhoek and the airport.
9. The road between Okahandja and Karibib in Namibia has been re-built to a higher and wider standard than the rest of the Trans Kalahari route.  It is a super road.
10. The majority of the route, apart from some sections near Gauteng, Windhoek and Swakopmund, is very flat and ideal for long-distance trucking.

Below are the distances for the route.  The vehicle is fairly modern, so the odometer can’t be far out.

Johannesburg to Skilpadshek        286 kms                        South Africa                286 kms

Skilpadshek to Ghanzi junction     592                                 Botswana                    754

Ghanzi junction to Mamuno           162                                   Namibia                      713

Mamuno to Windhoek                     315                                     Total                           1753 kms

Windhoek to Walvis Bay                 398

Johannesburg to Walvis Bay       1753 kms

Note that the Johannesburg to Skilpadshek route was not measured via Rustenburg and Pretoria.

Trucks travelling from Johannesburg do not take this route.  They rather travel via Krugersdorp, Tarlton and Magaliesburg and can save up to 100 kms.

Barney Curtis.