The story behind Ezzey’s Pass and the road that opened Barberton

Ezzey’s Pass, the winding road that connects Barberton to Kaapmuiden along the R38, is more than just a scenic route through the mountains. It carries with it the story of a man, a mission, and a road that helped modernise travel across the De Kaap Valley.

The pass was named after George Ephraim Ezzey (Family Genealogy 1874 - 1944), a former Australian soldier who served during the Anglo-Boer War. After the war, Ezzey remained in South Africa and worked as a roads inspector for the Department of Public Works. He became well known in the Lowveld during the 1920s, especially for his work in surveying and improving regional transport routes.

Before the pass was built, travellers and ox wagons had to cross several rivers and navigate treacherous terrain to reach Barberton. With the growing needs of the gold mining industry and increasing trade between Barberton and the rest of the Lowveld, the government sought to build a safer, more reliable road. Ezzey oversaw the project that would eventually become known as Ezzey’s Pass.

Construction began in the mid-1920s and involved carving a new road through the rocky cliffs and forested hills of the De Kaap escarpment. The road was officially opened in 1927. Spanning approximately 10 kilometres and featuring 23 sharp bends, Ezzey’s Pass quickly became an important part of the region’s infrastructure. It eliminated the need for multiple river crossings and significantly reduced travel time between Kaapmuiden and Barberton.

The pass also became a vital artery for transporting mining equipment, goods, and people to and from Barberton. In many ways, the road helped sustain the town’s economy during a time when gold mining operations were central to the area’s prosperity.

Ezzey’s legacy lives on in the road that bears his name. Although modern vehicles now traverse its steep inclines and tight corners with ease, the road’s construction in the 1920s was a remarkable feat of engineering for its time. Today, the pass offers sweeping views of the Lowveld, attracting tourists, motorcyclists, and photographers who marvel at its curves and history.

Ezzey’s Pass is a reminder of how geography and human effort shaped the evolution of the Barberton area. The road not only connected the town to the outside world but also anchored it more firmly in the story of Mpumalanga’s development.

• 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠𝚜, 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌t Lynette 𝚟𝚒𝚊 𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕 (editor@dekaapecho.co.za).
• 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜, 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝙰𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚊 𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕 (𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗@𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊.𝚌𝚘𝚖) 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚜𝙰𝚙𝚙 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.