Citizens join forces to restore a historic railway bridge in one of South Africa’s iconic towns

The community in Upington joined forces with Afriforum to restore the historic railway bridge, which was built in 1915.

Upington is one of the most important economic centres in the Northern Cape, acting as a commercial, agricultural, and transport hub of the region.

The town is known for its high-quality table grapes and sultanas and is home to Orange River Cellars, one of the largest wine co-operatives in the Southern Hemisphere.

Because Upington experiences extreme heat year-round, it has become a global destination for automotive hot-weather testing.

The high levels of solar radiation have also made Upington an important town in South Africa’s renewable energy sector.

Despite Upington’s economic importance, its local municipality, Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality, has faced service delivery and infrastructure crises.

The problems include water infrastructure collapse, environmental contamination, and administrative backlogs.

There has also been a deterioration of the roads and transport infrastructure, as is the case in most towns across South Africa.

The neglect led to the historic railway bridge in Schröder Street, built in 1915, falling into disrepair and becoming dilapidated.

This prompted the community, with the help of AfriForum’s Upington branch, to paint the bridge and clear up the surrounding area.

The project ran from 25 June to 3 July 2026 and involved dozens of volunteers, workers and painters to make the bridge clearly visible again.

70 litres of paint, including yellow and red paint, were used to repaint the bridge’s distinctive stripes. The paint provided a finish that can withstand the elements.

The project also involved clearing the area alongside the bridge using a tractor and a road grader. Accumulated soil and debris were removed.

“The low-lying bridge is notorious for collisions involving trucks, resulting in frequent damage to the bridge, high repair costs and traffic disruptions,” AfriForum said.

The fresh coat of paint improves visibility and makes road users more aware of the height restriction. This reduces the likelihood of frequent vehicle accidents.

Upington bridge photos