What started as a road closure turned into an unexpected lifeline for a Mpumalanga family.

Highvelder reports that when the P177 between Chrissiesmeer and Carolina shut down, farmer Johannes Nkabinde and his relatives decided to act. On their farm, they cleared a rough detour that soon became a busy alternative route.

Turning adversity into income

For a small fee, R20 per car and R50 per truck, drivers could avoid the long and potholed Breyten road.

The first stretch of their detour was dug by hand before the family could afford to hire a grader. A team of 14, including six schoolchildren, rotated shifts at the boom gate. Some days they took home only a few hundred rand, on others nearly R2 000.

Divided opinions online

Social media reaction was divided. Some motorists posted angry TikTok videos, calling the toll ‘exploitation’ and ‘illegal’.

Yet others defended the Nkabindes, pointing out that the official closure of the Chrissiesmeer–Carolina road was well signposted, and drivers had the option of using the official Breyten detour.

Critics asked why motorists knowingly ignored the sign 5km before Nkabinde’s detour and then complained about paying to cross private property.

‘Sad to see it end’

The road between Carolina and Chrissiesmeer was officially reopened on Monday, bringing an end to the family’s last payday at their informal toll gate.

“We are sad to see it end, because this was a good source of income for us. Now, we will all have to look for work elsewhere,” said Fana Nkabinde on the final day of operation.

During its operation, many motorists passed through without complaint, and the family even donated part of their earnings to buy 68 pairs of school socks for learners at Ezenzeleni Primary School in Carolina.

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