Sanral’s new Regional Manager ready for challenge ahead

Progress Hlahla, recently appointed Northern Region Manager of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), is looking forward to engage with professional bodies, contractors, small- and medium enterprises and communities on the impact of Sanral’s future projects, resulting in a greater understanding of its strategic objectives. Hlahla’s first objective is “to get a bird’s eye view” of all Sanral’s projects in the region.
Sanral says in a media release that Hlahla, a professional engineer with wide experience in construction, road network planning and transportation succeeds Ismail Essa who was appointed as Sanral’s Transformation Manager. The 34-year old with a Master’s degree in Project and Construction Management from the University of the Witwatersrand now heads up Sanral’s operations in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West.
“Prior to joining Sanral in 2016 Hlahla has gained extensive experience in the broader engineering and construction fields. He served as Deputy Chief Engineer in the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, participated in transport planning for the 2010 Soccer World Cup and was involved in the implementation of the Gauteng Freight Implementation Strategy.
During his career in the private sector he was the project leader for the Polokwane bus rapid transit system and oversaw projects on the Gautrain network and Greenpoint Stadium as well as in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia,” the statement says.
Hlahla’s appointment comes at a time when Sanral has adopted a new long-term strategy, Horizon 2030, to redefine its objectives at the start of its third decade as the agency responsible for the design and management of South Africa’s primary road network. It also just completed a stakeholder roadshow across all nine provinces during which it explained the aims of Horizon 2030 and its plans to accelerate the transformation of the construction and engineering sectors.
Hlahla said he understood that there were high expectations about the agency’s future plans within the built and engineering environments, especially among small- and medium-sized contractors. “Sanral’s role goes beyond road design, engineering and project management. Roads are a public good because they unlock economic value within the country and the region. If you don’t provide people with sufficient access to economic opportunities through quality roads you fail to unlock this economic value,” Hlahla reckoned.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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