Sani Pass is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

located in the West of

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

, South Africa on the road between Underberg,

and

Mokhotlong Mokhotlong is a city and seat of Mokhotlong District in the mountainous northeastern part of Lesotho. It is the first major city with an airport along the road from South Africa across the Sani Pass, near the Maloti (Drakensberg in South Africa) ...

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

. The pass traverses the Great Escarpment of southern Africa in its highest region, the Drakensberg Mountains, which reach an elevation of over 3,000 meters.

Route

The route up Sani Pass starts at , and climbs to an altitude of . The steep gravel road has gradients up to 1:3, which can be difficult to drive in bad weather and may be covered with snow and ice in winter. South Africa generally allows only 4x4 vehicles on the road. The pass lies between the border controls of both countries and is approximately 9 km in length. Caution must be exercised and motorists must be alert while navigating the pass as it has claimed many lives. Occasionally the remains of vehicles that did not succeed in navigating the pass's steep gradients and poor traction surfaces can be seen.

Road upgrades

The Sani Pass dirt road will be upgraded in two phases; phase 1 extending for 14 km from the P318 (Sani Pass) turnoff and finishing at the old Good Hope Trading Post, and phase 2 extending from kilometer 14 to kilometer 33, the summit of Sani Pass. Construction work for the first phase commenced in December 2006 and was completed in September 2012. An economic impact study for phase 2 was compiled in August 2011. and its environmental impact assessment was compiled in October 2011. On 2 July 2013 the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism approved the execution of phase 2 of the project, with the ultimate objective to re-gravel the final 5 km of the pass. The department also authorized plans to upgrade the storm-water drainage system and retaining walls along the route to reduce sand and gravel erosion. On 21 May 2014 the South African Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, approved the execution of phase 2. Tarring was planned to start within five months following the announcement and would bring the total cost of the project to R887-million. In July 2015 it was stated that phase 2 shall be completed in 2019. As of August 2018 there was no timeline for phase 3. As of May 2021 the third phase had yet to start, and the finishing of phase 2 was largely, but not entirely complete.

Border regulations

While South African emigration at the bottom of the pass prohibits vehicles deemed unsuitable for the journey, the Lesotho border agents at the summit generally allow vehicles of all types to attempt the descent. The pass is often closed due to adverse weather conditions, especially during winter. The respective border control stations open at 6:00 and close at 18:00.DHA Webpage - South African Ports of entry
/ref> The South African/Lesotho border is at the summit of the pass and not at the South African border control point. Sani Pass therefore lies entirely within South Africa.

Television appearances

* '' Perilous Journeys'' episode, "The Roof of Africa". * '' Top Gear'', Series 23, Episode 2 * ''Extreme Frontiers'' – South Africa

Gallery

Sani Pass 003.jpg, Sign board Sani pass.jpg, The mountains of the Sani Pass View down into South Africa from top of Sani Pass in Lesotho.jpg, View down into South Africa A vehicle on Sani Pass.jpg, A vehicle traversing the pass

References