The R24 is a major East-West

provincial route A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

in the

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

and North West provinces that links

OR Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and since 2020, it is Africa's secon ...

with Rustenburg via

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, Krugersdorp and Magaliesburg. The process of renaming the streets and freeway that form the route from Krugersdorp eastward to OR Tambo International after anti-apartheid stalwart Albertina Sisulu was completed in 2013. After passing through Central Johannesburg and some of Johannesburg's eastern suburbs (a section maintained by the

Johannesburg Roads Agency The Johannesburg Roads Agency is a government department, department of the Government of Gauteng. JRA began on business on 1 January 2001 with the City of Johannesburg being the main shareholder. The JRA's plans, designs, constructs, operates ...

, a department of the

City of Johannesburg The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is divided into several branches and departments in order to expedite services for the city. ...

), the route becomes a freeway outside Eastgate Shopping Centre in Bedfordview, a section which is maintained by the

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport is a department of the Government of Gauteng. It is responsible for the development of the transport system in the Gauteng province of South Africa, and for constructing and maintaining buildings and ...

, part of the

Gauteng Provincial Government The government of Gauteng province in South Africa consists of a unicameral legislature elected by proportional representation, and an executive branch headed by a Premier who is elected by the legislature. Legislature The provincial l ...

. This freeway section of the route intersects with the N3 and the N12 at George Bizos Interchange. There are offramps that lead to Edenvale, and parts of Kempton Park, before the road ends in the vicinity of OR Tambo International Airport, at the R21 leading to

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothi ...

and

Boksburg Boksburg is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa. Gold was discovered in Boksburg in 1887. Boksburg was named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, W. Eduard Bok. The Main Reef Road linked Boksburg ...

Route

Gauteng

The R24 begins at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg International Airport (OR Tambo International Airport) in the

East Rand The East Rand is the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation in South Africa. The region extends from Alberton in the west to Nigel in the east, and south down to Nigel. It includ ...

(

Ekurhuleni The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng. The municipality itself is a large suburban region east of Johannesburg. The name ''Ekurhuleni'' m ...

. It heads west as a freeway, beginning with an interchange with the R21 (

Highway), then heads west-south-west through the southern edge of Kempton Park (where it has a junction at Lazarus Mawela Road, formerly Barbara Road – M59) and Edenvale (where it has a junction at Lungile Mtshali Road, formerly Van Riebeeck Road/Edenvale Road – M37). In Bedfordview (just after the Edenvale off-ramp), the R24 joins the N12 Freeway from

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. ...

westwards towards

for almost 2 km, with an e-toll gantry on that section of the national road ( open road tolling; the only toll on the entire R24 Route) (there is no e-toll on the eastward side of the freeway). Many motorists complained of the Loerie e-toll being positioned on the R24, as they believed that the R24 was meant to be a toll-free route for its entire length in which nobody would be charged for transporting from OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg International Airport (OR Tambo International Airport) in Kempton Park to Johannesburg Central. As the R24 in Gauteng is not a route maintained by

SANRAL The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd or SANRAL is a South African parastatal responsible for the management, maintenance and development of South Africa's proclaimed National Road network which includes many (but not all) National ("N") ...

and was not indicated as a toll road, motorists and companies wondered why motorists were being charged for being on a ''

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

'' for only 2 km on the route from Johannesburg's Airport to Johannesburg's city centre. But SANRAL has since changed the signs on both highways connected (N12 & R24) so as for them to indicate that there is an e-toll ahead when travelling westwards to the N3 interchange (every lane on the N12 and R24 west cosigned section passes through the gantry). Right after the e-toll, at the George Bizos Interchange (previously Gillooly's Interchange) with the N3 Highway, the N12 leaves the westerly highway and joins the N3 Eastern Bypass southwards on the

Johannesburg Ring Road The Johannesburg Ring Road is a set of freeways that circle the city of Johannesburg, South Africa and service the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. The entire Ring Road is an e-toll highway (with open road tolling) and is appr ...

, leaving the R24 as the straight road west into Johannesburg. Just after the interchange with the N3 & N12, it passes north of the Eastgate Shopping Centre and leaves the

City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng. The municipality itself is a large suburban region east of Johannesburg. The name ''Ekurhuleni'' m ...

to enter the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Here, the R24 stops being a freeway. It passes through some of

's eastern suburbs in a south-westerly direction, including Bruma,

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

and

Troyeville Troyeville is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a small suburb found on the eastern edge of the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), with the suburbs of New Doornfontein, Bertrams and Lorentzville to the north, Fairview t ...

, before passing into

Johannesburg CBD The Central Business District, commonly called Johannesburg CBD, is one of the main business centres of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the densest collection of skyscrapers in Africa, however, due to white flight and urban blight, many of the b ...

and becoming two one-way streets (one going east as Albertina Sisulu Road, formerly Market Street, and the other west as Commissioner Street). The

Carlton Centre The Carlton Centre is a 50-storey skyscraper and shopping centre located on Commissioner Street in central Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it is the third tallest building in Africa after The Leonardo, also in Johannesburg, and the Iconic ...

, the second tallest building in Africa (the tallest office building in Africa), is located on Commissioner Street. Just before crossing under Johannesburg's M1 Freeway at the suburb of Newtown, it intersects with the eastern terminus of the

R41 Road The R41 is a provincial route (South Africa), provincial route in Gauteng, South Africa, that connects Johannesburg with Randfontein via Roodepoort. Route The R41 route begins in the Newtown, Johannesburg, Newtown suburb of Johannesburg, at an i ...

(Main Reef Road) and becomes one street westwards (no longer one-way streets). The R41 route is an alternative route to the R24 route as they both go west to Roodepoort. Next, the R24 runs west to Roodepoort. It passes through the

Fordsburg Fordsburg is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8. Fordsburg is a residential suburb, although housing numerous shops and factories. Today, Fordsburg is a major centre of Indian and Pakistani culture, with a large ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...

, Mayfair West, Langlaagte North, Crosby, Industria (where it continues by a left & right turn) and

Bosmont Bosmont is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Bosmont is located in Region 4. Bosmont is located in the West Rand of Johannesburg and nearly all of its residents are Coloured. History It was during the sixties that people of colour were fo ...

suburbs before it crosses the N1 Highway ( Johannesburg Western Bypass;

) at the Maraisburg junction and enters Roodepoort. After passing through the Maraisburg and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

suburbs, the R24 runs in a northwesterly direction through the former CBD of Roodepoort. After bypassing Westgate Shopping Centre, the R24 leaves the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and enters Krugersdorp in the

Mogale City Local Municipality Mogale City Local Municipality is a local municipality in West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, in South Africa. Main places The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: Politics The municipal council cons ...

. Through Krugersdorp, it first passes by Factoria before passing through the southern end of Krugersdorp CBD, where it intersects with the R28 Route. After Krugersdorp West, the R24 makes up the southern border of the Krugersdorp Game Reserve. It then heads north-west, crossing the N14 National Route, towards Magaliesburg, which is a holiday and weekend destination for people of Johannesburg and Pretoria. On this section, before Magaliesburg, it passes by the

Tarlton International Raceway Tarlton International Raceway is a drag racing strip just outside Krugersdorp in South Africa on the R24 Route. See also *Drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a t ...

. It forms the main road through Magaliesburg, meeting the eastern terminus of the R509 Route before meeting the south-western terminus of the R560 Route. South Africa-Magaliesburg-R24-001

North West

After Magaliesburg in the

, the R24 leaves

and enters the North West Province in a northwesterly direction. It heads for Olifantsnek, where it meets the northern end of the R30 Route and bypasses the Kgaswane Mountain Reserve and the Olifantsnek Dam. After the Kgaswane Reserve, it crosses the N4 Highway (

Platinum Highway The Platinum Highway is part of the N4, and a major South African highway built under concessions with a private contractor. In 2001, the project was voted Infrastructure Deal of the Year by Project Finance International Magazine. It took eight ye ...

) and enters the City of Rustenburg adjacent to the Waterfall Mall. It meets the R104 (Fatima Bhayat Street) just after crossing the Platinum Highway and proceeds for another 1 kilometre north-north-east to end at a t-junction just west of the Hex River. The entire section of the R24 in North-West Province was regarded as a

national road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

in September 2012 and is now operated by

Geography

Street name

By October 2013, every street and freeway that makes up R24 from

, Kempton Park,

, through

and Roodepoort, to Krugersdorp was officially named after Albertina Sisulu, with the only exceptions being in some one-way-street sections of the route. In

, the street for vehicles going westwards is named Commissioner Street (while the parallel street going the other direction is still named Albertina Sisulu Road). In the Maraisburg suburb of Roodepoort, the street for vehicles going eastwards is named 9th Street (while the parallel street going the other direction is still named Albertina Sisulu Road). In the former CBD of Roodepoort, the street for vehicles going westwards is named Oliver Street (while the parallel street going the other direction is still named Albertina Sisulu Road). There were plans to rename Commissioner Street to Albertina Sisulu Road and the family of Sisulu welcomed this proposal but as of 2019, the change has not taken place. The use of the street name "Albertina Sisulu Road" ends in Krugersdorp East (just after leaving Roodepoort), at the junction with Coronation Street. From there, through Krugersdorp CBD, it is known as ''Luipaard Street''. After Krugersdorp CBD, it is known as ''Rustenburg Road'' for the remainder of its length, from Krugersdorp, through Magaliesburg, up to Olifantsnek Dam, where it enters Rustenburg. As the R24 is known as the ''Albertina Sisulu Freeway'' in Ekurhuleni between Eastgate Shopping Centre and

, the use of the name doesn't end there. The R21 e-toll freeway is often also called the Albertina Sisulu Freeway, particularly the section from its

interchange with the R24 north to the Flying Saucer Interchange with the N1 southeast of

City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of P ...

. Together, the R24 & R21 make up the only other "highway system" after the

Ben Schoeman Highway The Ben Schoeman Freeway or Ben Schoeman Highway is the main freeway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and consists of portions of the M1, N1, and N14. Opened in 1968, it is named after a former Minister of Transport Ben Schoeman, and is un ...

that connects

and

. The R21 e-toll freeway, together with the freeway section of the R24, was already named the ''Albertina Sisulu Freeway'' by the time of the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

while the remainder of the R24 to Krugersdorp was renamed in 2013.

References

External links

Routes Travel Info
{{DEFAULTSORT:R24 (South Africa) 24 24 Streets and roads of Johannesburg Highways in South Africa Provincial routes in South Africa