VerifiedThe South African Road Federation (SARF), founded in 1950, promotes the road industry in South Africa through sharing information, promoting sound policies, and education and training. SARF provides a meeting point for people across the country with an interest in roads and road administration.
- Registered name
- South African Road Federation (SARF)
- Type
- Non-profit association (road industry)
- Fields funded
- Road engineering, road safety engineering, transport economics and road transport management
- Website
- sarf.org.za
- sybul@sarf.org.za
- Phone
- 011 394 9025
Linking South Africa to the world’s road industry
SARF is a member of the International Road Federation Global, and through liaison with its programme centre in Washington brings the latest developments in road technology, policy and management to local industry. SARF promotes sound policies in every part of road infrastructure, from geometric design to road safety audits, and aims to advance the Southern African economy through a sound road transport industry.
Keeping engineers registered
Since 2006, continuing professional development (CPD) has been compulsory for renewing professional registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). SARF is a leading validator of CPD activities, assigning each conference, workshop or course a unique validation number and ensuring that the activities it endorses meet ECSA’s standards.
Leadership from the industry
SARF’s directors bring experience in engineering, road safety, pavement management and infrastructure resilience. SARF president Melanie Kemp Hofmeyr, a registered professional engineer, is chief executive of the Southern African Bitumen Association and previously held senior roles in the Western Cape Government’s Department of Infrastructure. Deputy president Simphiwe Nene, who studied at the Durban University of Technology and the University of Pretoria, received the 2025 National Batho Pele Public Sector Innovation Gold Award.
The SARF bursary
SARF funds a partial bursary for students who intend to build careers in South Africa’s road transport sector, in road safety engineering, road transport economics and management, and road engineering, including civil, traffic, bridge and pavement engineering, transport planning, construction materials and storm water. The amount depends on circumstances and SARF Council approval, and bursars become SARF associate members.
SARF prefers MTech, MSc and other advanced students, full-time students and employees of SARF members, and SADC nationals may apply. Applicants must have passed the first semester of a diploma or first year of a degree. Unusually, SARF has no online portal: applications go by post or hand delivery to its Kempton Park office. The 2027 round closed on 31 August 2026.
How to research SARF
Attend a SARF course or conference as a student to meet road engineers, and ask your institution to endorse your application early.
See the SANRAL bursary for another roads funder.
🎓 Download Our Bursary Application Checklist
Download our free Application Checklist to make sure you do not miss any required documents. Submitting a complete application is key to being shortlisted.
📥 Download Checklist (PDF)
