Which South African highway runs from Cape Town to Beit Bridge, being the country's longest?

South Africa’s N1, or National Route 1, runs from Cape Town to Beit Bridge and is the country’s longest national route.

The N1 crosses South Africa from the southwest to the Zimbabwean border. From Cape Town it travels through or near Paarl, Beaufort West, Colesberg, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Polokwane and Musina before reaching Beit Bridge. It is a crucial corridor for passenger travel, freight and trade with southern African neighbors.

The route is about 1,936 kilometres long and crosses five provinces: Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo. It also forms the first section of the historic Cape to Cairo Road concept, although that larger route extends far beyond South Africa and is not a single continuous modern highway.

The N2 is another major Cape Town route, but it generally follows the southern and eastern coast toward Durban and Ermelo. The N3 connects Johannesburg with Durban, while the N4 runs east–west across the interior. Those routes are important national highways, but they do not match the Cape Town–Beit Bridge description.