A 140 metre long footbridge has recently been completed spanning the Mzamba river in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Previously the local populace had to wade across the river to access education and medical facilities on the opposite bank, which became very perilous during the rainy season. All funding has been by donations and the German manufacturer, Pfeifer donated the suspension cables, which form an integral part of the structure.

The suspension bridge was designed by students from the Carintha University of Applied Science together with assistance from Pfeifer’s Technical Department and the Austrian architects, ‘buildCollective’.

After manufacture at Pfeifer’s factory in Memmingen, the pair of PG suspension cables complete with swaged end fittings, were shipped to South Africa. Each cable was coiled on to a wooden reel to ease installation, each reel weighing approximately one metric tonne. The cables together with the wooden decking and steel hangers were installed by the students and local volunteers.

The bridge officially opened early October, 2015 and with the suspension cables having an inherent corrosion protection, the bridge is likely to last for many years to come.