How the toll route cost calculator works
Last updated 10 November 2026
Toll roads in South Africa charge each time a vehicle passes a toll plaza. The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) publishes the tariffs every year. This page adds up the tariffs for the plazas on your trip, for the vehicle class you pick. It uses the tariffs effective 1 March 2026.
How it works
- Pick the vehicle class. At conventional plazas SANRAL sets it by the number of axles.
- Choose each toll plaza you pass in one direction. Add a row for every plaza, and set how many times you pass it.
- Tick the box if you pass the same plazas again on the way back. The total then doubles.
Worked example
With the starting rows:
- Class 1 (all light vehicles) through N1 Huguenot and N1 Vaal pays R 54.50 and R 91.50, R 146.00 one way and R 292.00 there and back.
- Class 4 (5 or more axles) on the same two plazas pays R 658.00 one way.
Where the figures come from
The tariffs are from SANRAL’s poster “New toll tariffs from 1 March 2026”, which we read in full on 10 November 2026. SANRAL’s media release of 19 February 2026 says the adjustment was published in Government Gazette Nos. 54087 and 54088 of 5 February 2026. The poster calls itself an explanatory document that does not replace the gazettes, and we could not read the gazettes, so please treat the poster as the source. We did not work out any tariff ourselves. The register on how we check figures shows the status.
Vehicle classes
SANRAL’s March 2025 booklet says classes at conventional toll plazas are decided by axles: Class 1: all light vehicles; Class 2: 2 axles; Class 3: 3 to 4 axles; Class 4: 5 or more axles. The same page states that the class scheme applies to conventional plazas. Whether a trailer or caravan changes your class is not stated on the pages we read, so the calculator leaves it to you to choose the class the plaza would apply.
What is on the list
The poster gives tariffs for 73 lines, grouped by route: N1 (21), N2 (15), N3 (10), N4 (17), N17 (9), R30/R730/R34 (1). Each line is a plaza and a lane type, such as the main road or a ramp. We list all of them and left none out. A toll plaza not on this list is not in the calculator.
Ramps and direction
Some plazas charge for ramps, and some ramps are priced by direction. When you drive back, the ramp you use may be a different line. Add those rows yourself rather than relying on the return trip box, which simply repeats the same plazas.
Discounts and tags
SANRAL says discounts for frequent users and qualifying local users still apply, that you apply for them at the toll plaza office, and that they now require a Tag. The calculator shows full tariffs, so a plaza discount would make your real toll lower.
What this page does not cover
It does not cover fuel, wear, e-toll in Gauteng, or any toll road missing from SANRAL’s poster. It is not a route planner: it does not know which plazas lie between two towns, so you choose them. Use our road trip cost calculator to add fuel and other costs. This is information from a public document, not advice.
Things to watch
- Tariffs change each year. Check SANRAL’s current tariffs before you travel.
- The figures come from a poster, not the gazette text, and discounts are not applied.
Related: the road trip cost calculator and the fuel cost calculator. Read the full disclaimer.