The R578 is a 100 km long Regional Route in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The construction of the large section of the road, from Elim to

Giyani Giyani is a town situated in the North-eastern part of Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is the administrative capital of the Mopani District Municipality, and a former capital of the defunct Gazankulu bantustan. The town of Giyani has seven s ...

(84 km of the Road) was surveyed, planned and constructed by the former

Gazankulu Gazankulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. It was located in both the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo province and Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga ...

Government in 1987. The R578 runs through the

Tsonga Tsonga may refer to: * Tsonga language, a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa * Tsonga people, a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique and South Africa. * Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (; born 17 April 1985) i ...

homeland of former Gazankulu, in particular, it runs through

Hlanganani Hlanganani, formerly Spelonken, is an amalgamation of various large villages which are situated in the north western portion of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, South Africa. Hlanganani is situated alongside the R578 road to Giyani and El ...

and

.The following villages, which are large and densely populated, are found alongside the R578 road; Elim, , Rivoni,

Waterval Waterval is a residential township in front of Elim Hospital, it is situated in the Hlanganani district of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, alongside the R578 road to Giyani in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Waterval includes , ...

, Shirley, Mbhokota, Bokisi, Chavani, Nwaxinyamani,

Bungeni Bungeni is a large sprawling rural settlement situated on top of one of the foothills and tail end of the Soutpansberg mountain in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Levubu agricultural plantation, where avocado, bananas, litch, ...

, Nkuzana, Majosi, Nwamatatana, Khomanani, Ntshuxi, the

Middle Letaba Dam Middle Letaba Dam is an earth-fill type dam located on the Middle Letaba River, 40 km east of Elim and 40 km west of Giyani, Limpopo, South Africa. The source of the Middle Letaba river rises high in the tropical mountains of Magoebaskl ...

, Babangu, Ndengeza C, Nhlaneki, Mapuve, Maswanganyi, Bode, Dzingidzingi and join Giyani at R81. Elim Hospital, Hubyeni Shopping Centre and Elim Mall are all situated alongside the R578 road. In 2014, the South African Cabinet has announced that the maintenance of R578 will be undertaken by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), it is expected that R578 will receive first class maintenance from SANRAL, therefore potholes between Elim and Giyani will disappear.

Route

Its western terminus is the N1 just south of

Louis Trichardt Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

, it heads east-south-east, through the township of

at Elim to end at

at an intersection with the R81.

References

Regional Routes in Limpopo {{SouthAfrica-road-stub