Responsibility for the planning, construction, management and maintenance of this sprawling network is entrusted to the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Ltd. SANRAL was established in April 1998 by an Act of Parliament as an independent state owned entity to operate South Africa’s national road network. It is a public company with share capital within the requirements of the South African Companies Act and governed by a board of eight members. The Minister of Transport is the sole shareholder of SANRAL representing government.