N7 (South Africa)

National route N7
The N7 north of Vanrhynsdorp
Route information
Maintained by SANRAL
Length	666 km (414 mi)
Major junctions
South end	N1 in Cape Town
Major intersections	N14 at Springbok
North end	B1 at the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif
Location
Country	South Africa
Provinces	Western Cape, Northern Cape
Major cities	Cape Town Malmesbury Piketberg Clanwilliam Vredendal Vanrhynsdorp Springbok
Highway system
Numbered routes of South Africa
← N6 → N8

The N7 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town northwards through the West Coast and Namaqualand regions to the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif. After crossing the border, it changes designation to B1 and runs north through Windhoek and the north of Namibia.

The N7 National Route forms the first section of the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway, which is a proposed link between Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, and Cape Town being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union.

Route

The N7 begins at a four-way interchange with the N1 National Route in Cape Town, adjacent to Acacia Park, heading northwards. South of this interchange, it is the M7 Route of Cape Town (Jakes Gerwel Drive).

The portion of the road within Cape Town is a freeway, but it loses limited-access freeway status shortly after exiting the urban limits at the M12 interchange (Malibongwe Drive). From here it remains a dual-carriageway until just after Malmesbury at the R45 intersection. The N7 gains limited-access freeway status again at the Melkbosstrand M19 interchange, which it carries through to Malmesbury after roadworks were completed in 2020. Thereafter, the N7 is a single-carriageway highway with wide paved shoulders to Piekenierskloof Pass and through the Olifants River valley until Clanwilliam.

The rest of the N7 to the Namibian border, through Vredendal and Springbok (where it meets the N14 National Route) is a single-carriageway highway with no paved shoulders.

After crossing into Namibia, it becomes the B1 road to Keetmanshoop and Windhoek.

Trans-African Highway Network

Main article: Tripoli-Cape Town Highway

The N7 National Route forms the first section of the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway, which is a proposed link between Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, and Cape Town being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union.

External links

• National Roads Agency SA