Paving in the Eastern Cape
In East London, Buffalo City spells out exactly what a driveway entrance over the sidewalk may look like. In Nelson Mandela Bay, recent floods showed what blocked street drains do to paved yards.
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Plenty of municipalities require permission for a driveway crossing. Buffalo City goes further and writes its preferred design into the by-law: the length, the kerb type, how many entrances you may have and who pays. If you're in East London, Mdantsane or Qonce, that shapes the quote before you choose a paver.
Nelson Mandela Bay's lesson is about water. When heavy rain hit the metro in May 2026, blocked stormwater drains were among the main complaints, and the City said blockages had worsened the 2024 floods too.
Buffalo City: what a driveway entrance may look like
Section 27 of Buffalo City's Roads and Streets By-law (2011) bans building a private crossing or pathway in front of a property without the road authority's written permission. It also sets the requirements:
- Avoid gutter-bridge entrances; a depressed or roll-over kerb is preferred.
- No entrance longer than 6.0 m.
- No changes to sidewalk or street levels.
- Only one entrance or exit per property.
- Construction, maintenance and all costs are for the owner's account.
- Any deviation must be approved in writing by the road authority.
Penalties, and a double driveway rethink
If no specific penalty applies, a conviction under the by-law carries a fine of up to R10,000 or up to six months' imprisonment, plus up to R200 a day for a continuing offence. The one-entrance rule matters if you're planning an in-and-out driveway or a second gate for a granny flat: you'll need the road authority's written approval for the deviation first.
Keep spare pavers if you pave the verge
The same by-law sets the rules for utilities digging in the road reserve. A wayleave holder must reinstate footways with the original surfacing, reusing undamaged blocks or slabs. Where a private driveway or footway uses non-standard materials, the owner gets written notice beforehand and must supply the materials for reinstatement. If you choose a designer paver for the verge, keep a few square metres aside so a repair after a cable or pipe job matches.
Nelson Mandela Bay: blocked drains and flooded yards
Between 5 and 8 May 2026, the metro logged 101 infrastructure complaints in three days, chiefly about blocked stormwater drains, overflowing ponds, damaged road surfaces and flooded properties, across areas including Walmer, Kariega, KwaNobuhle and Despatch. The acting city manager said the City clears drains regularly, particularly after the 2024 floods, which blockages had worsened. A month later, on 4 June, more than 700 residents had to be housed overnight after localised flooding.
Paving can add to that problem or help with it. Jointing sand, cement slurry and offcuts washed into the gutter during a job end up in the same street drains. Ask your installer how they'll keep site waste out of the drains, and make sure the paving falls towards a drain point you can reach and clear, not towards the house.
Paving prices in the Eastern Cape
We haven't found published paving prices for Gqeberha, East London or elsewhere in the Eastern Cape. The guides we checked give regional figures only for Johannesburg and Durban, so there's no evidence that paving here costs more or less than the national ranges in the paving cost guide.
In Buffalo City, ask for the entrance and kerb work in the road reserve to be priced separately, since it has its own approval and rules.
Where in the Eastern Cape
You can request quotes from anywhere in the province, including Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City, Gqeberha, Kariega, East London, Mthatha, Makhanda, Komani, Jeffreys Bay, Port Alfred. Choose your region and suburb in the form, and providers who cover your area will quote.
Paving in the Eastern Cape: questions
How wide can my driveway entrance be in East London?
Buffalo City's Roads and Streets By-law says no entrance may be longer than 6.0 m, and only one entrance or exit is allowed per property unless the road authority approves a deviation in writing. A depressed or roll-over kerb is preferred to a bridge over the gutter.
A contractor dug up my paved verge. Who restores it?
In Buffalo City, the wayleave holder must reinstate footways with the original surfacing. If your verge uses non-standard pavers, you'll be notified in writing first and must supply matching materials, so it's worth keeping spares from the original job.
My Gqeberha driveway floods when the street drain blocks. What can paving do?
It can't fix a blocked municipal drain, but it can stop water heading for your house. Ask for falls away from doors, a channel drain where the driveway meets the gate, and an overflow route. See [what to check before you hire](/services/paving) for how falls are set.
Sources
- Roads and Streets By-law, 2011, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (via LawLibrary)
- Nelson Mandela Bay floods expose infrastructure strain — 101 complaints logged in three days, Daily Maverick (Andisa Bonani and Kyran Blaauw), 13 May 2026
- More than 700 Nelson Mandela Bay residents housed overnight due to heavy rainfall, The Citizen (Caslian Scott), 5 June 2026
Last updated 28 October 2026.
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