ACTis has raised three flags for SANRAL.
Repeated suspensions and reinstatements of senior executives without public explanation, prolonged vacancies in senior executive roles, and limited professional civil engineering expertise on the 2026 Board raise concerns about oversight quality and stability. Many of the same concerns existed under the previous Board. Weakened leadership can reduce institutional resilience and increase opportunities for undue influence over high-risk functions such as procurement and financial management.
Irregularities in high-value contract awards, including repeated awards to the same suppliers, may be systemic. This may be linked to instability and uncertain leadership quality at SANRAL, as well as the Board’s role in approving, denying or transferring contract awards.
Exposés by investigative journalists, whistleblowers or competitor suppliers’ lawsuits are revealing irregular contract awards and triggering investigations, adding to concerns that SANRAL’s procurement governance has weakened.
SANRAL is also showing signs of resilience, including an unqualified audit opinion, commissioning its own investigations, and taking legal action relating to certain disputed contracts.
The impact of less technically qualified leadership is evident in a worrying weakness in monitoring performance within road asset infrastructure management in 2024/25, a key part of its mandate.