N12 (South Africa)

National road in South Africa

The N12 is a national route in South Africa which runs from George through Beaufort West, Kimberley, Klerksdorp and Johannesburg to eMalahleni. It is the only other National Route after the N1 route that connects the Western Cape Province with the Gauteng Province. Prior to 1971, the N12 from Johannesburg to Three Sisters was known as the N13.

The road starts in George in the Western Cape and ends in eMalahleni in Mpumalanga. The road runs roughly from south to north, however, once it passes Kimberley in the Northern Cape, it gradually turns eastward. Only the section between Soweto and eMalahleni is a limited access dual motorway. The section between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom is a dual carriage highway. The N12 remains the only National Route other than the N1 that links Beaufort West with Johannesburg.

The N12 route begins south east of the town centre of George at an intersection with the N2. From this junction, it runs concurrently with the N9. It goes north west, through the centre of George. Near Mont Fleur Mountain Estate, the N12/N9 turns northwards, passing through the western area of the Witfontein Nature Reserve as the Outeniqua Pass. While cosigned with the N3 northwards, they are one road, bypassing Germiston (Capital of Ekurhuleni) to the west and intersecting with the M2 freeway at the Geldenhuys Interchange, where the M2 provides access to Germiston Central in the east and Johannesburg Central in the west.) in Bedfordview, east of the Eastgate Shopping Centre. At this interchange, the N12 leaves the Eastern Bypass portion of the Johannesburg Ring Road (which remains designated as the N3 northwards) and joins the R24 Airport Freeway eastwards. The N12 is cosigned with the R24 for 2 kilometers. Just before the Lungile Mtshali Road off ramp, the R24 and the N12 split, with the R24 becoming its own east north east freeway (the Albertina Sisulu Freeway) towards O. R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg International Airport) and the N12 remaining as the eastwards highway towards Benoni and Witbank. The South African government announced on 28 March 2024 that e tolls in Gauteng would officially be shut down on 11 April 2024 at midnight. As a result of the e toll discontinuation, the N12 route is now a toll free route.

The N18 road from the Botswana Border, passing through Mahikeng and Vryburg of the North West Province to Warrenton, together with the N12 to Beaufort West and the N1 road to Cape Town in the Western Cape are collectively declared part of Trans African Highway no. 4 (Cairo Cape Town Highway). The N12 between Three Sisters and Warrenton is very important as it is part of the Trans African Highway Network number 4 Extension between Gaborone and Cape Town.

The Meiringspoort section in the Swartberg between De Rust and Klaarstroom follows the gorge cut by the Groot River. It is a scenic drive crossing twelve old drifts (replaced by bridges today). From De Rust one will cross the drifts in the following order: Spook drift, Boesman drift, Nooiensboom drift, Dubble Drif se Draai, Ou tol drift, Wa drift, Witfontein se drift, Ontploffings drift, Perskeboom drift, Wasgat drift, Eerste/Laaste drift.

Herrie's Stone, Meiringspoort. The writer C. J. Langenhoven chiselled the name of the elephant Herrie from his book Sonde met die Bure, on this rock in July 1929.