Kouga – On 23 January 2025, Kouga Municipality officially unveiled its largest single investment in infrastructure to date: a monumental R200 million road resealing and rehabilitation project.

This ambitious initiative aims to upgrade between 100km and 150km of roads across all nine municipal areas, significantly improving mobility and safety for residents and businesses.

 

A milestone for Kouga

“This project is a testament to our commitment to delivering infrastructure that supports sustainable growth and improves the quality of life for all residents,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman.

“Reliable road infrastructure is not only critical for economic development, but also plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities.”

The project includes the resealing of several key roads in its initial phase, including Hoffman, Flamink, and Pelikaan Streets in Humansdorp; Du Plessis Street in Patensie; and Walsh Street in Hankey.

Addressing decades of backlogs

The municipality inherited a R500 million road maintenance backlog in 2016.

“Through prudent financial management, our administration has been able to pay off municipal debts, secure clean audits, and now, secure the largest funding for a single project in Kouga’s history,” Bornman explained.

“Patching the problem was never going to be enough. The challenges posed by increasing population demands and harsh weather conditions required decisive action. This R200 million loan from the DBSA marks a bold step forward in addressing these issues comprehensively.”

 

Inclusive development across Kouga

The project will benefit every town in the municipality, with roads prioritised based on technical analysis and ward councillor input.

Bornman emphasised that the initiative will focus on roads in the most critical condition while balancing future financial sustainability.

“In addition to this project, we’re also investing over R40 million to upgrade gravel roads, with R17 million allocated in the next financial year alone,” he added.

This transformative initiative is expected to pave the way for long-term growth and development, reinforcing Kouga’s position as a leader in service delivery and infrastructure excellence.

Road resealing achievements since June 2022

Since June 2022, a total of 28.1km of roads at a cost of R43 million have been successfully resealed.

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