The Civil Engineering Contractor February 2018 | Page 32

PROFILE
Taking its toll
By Kim Kemp
The Bakwena N1N4 toll is the central link of a vast highway system that connects southern
Africa’s east and west coasts, while Graeme Blewitt makes sure it is fully operational.
G
raeme
Blewitt,
CEO at Bakwena
Platinum
Corridor
Concessionaire, maintains that
educating the public about
the necessity for tolls —
and the benefits that the
system brings to road users
— remains a challenge
after the resistance met by
the Gauteng Open Road
Tolling system.
Please briefly describe your career
After graduating from the University of
Witwatersrand with an honours degree in
accounting, I joined EY as an audit clerk
in 1992. In 1995, I was promoted to audit
manager at EY, a role I fulfilled for a year
before joining Union Carriage & Wagon
(a division of Murray & Roberts Steel) as
finance manager in 1996.
In 2000, I was appointed group finance
director at Murray & Roberts Steel, where
I remained until 2003 before joining
Bakwena as finance manager. In 2006, I
was appointed as chief operating officer at
Bakwena and in 2007, as chief executive
officer, my current role.
What is Bakwena’s main focus?
The Bakwena N1N4 toll touches the
lives of many South African road users,
who are provided with safe and efficient
passage between Gauteng, Limpopo, and
the North West Province. It is the central
link of a highway system known as the
Trans-Kalahari Corridor, connecting
southern Africa’s east and west coasts,
from Mozambique through South Africa
to Botswana and Namibia. The N1
section is a vital part of the central
African transport route to South Africa
and its ports.
Bakwena is responsible for all
operations along the route. The most
important of these include routine road
maintenance, the collection of tolls,
maintenance of roadside infrastructure,
vegetation management, and the upkeep
of the storm water drainage system.
What challenges does Bakwena face in
meeting demand?
South African toll operators share similar
challenges to many other operators around
Graeme Blewitt, CEO at Bakwena.
30 - CEC February 2018