The Transport Ministry on Wednesday called on motorists to drive carefully over the Easter weekend.
Main routes out of Gauteng are expected to carry heavy traffic from noon until 10pm on Thursday and from 6am to noon on Friday, said ministry spokesperson Ntau Letebele.
The N1 towards Polokwane was expected to be one of the busiest. Extra delays were also anticipated on the R101, which could be used as an alternative route.
Other routes that will carry heavy traffic on Thursday, Friday and Monday are the N3 between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and the N4 between Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The N1 between Gauteng and the Free State leading to the Cape is also expected to be busier than normal.
Along with holidaymakers, migrant workers returning home and Zion Christian Church members making the pilgrimage to Moria City in Limpopo will contribute to the heavy traffic volumes.
Most of the Gauteng-bound heavy traffic is expected on Monday.
Drivers are advised to make sure their cars were roadworthy, to drive only when well-rested and to make regular stops.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape police have urged residents to tell their local police if they go on holiday so that their homes can be patrolled.
East London police spokesperson Superintendent Mtati Tana said drunken, reckless or negligent drivers can expect no mercy.
He also advised parents to keep an eye on their children in shopping malls, on the beach and near swimming pools. He said police will distribute name tags for children to make it easier for them to be reunited with their parents if they are lost. — Sapa