The N2 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town through George, Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Port Shepstone and Durban to Ermelo.

The first section of the N2 is shared with the beginning of the N1; it is a four-lane elevated freeway that runs along a strip of land between the city centre and the Port of Cape Town.

It travels just past the southern end of the main runway at Cape Town International Airport and crosses the M7 and R300 highways (both of which link the N2 with Mitchells Plain in the south and Bellville and Brackenfell in the north).

It enters the Helderberg region where it passes through Somerset West and ceases to be a freeway after the R44 intersection, which links the N2 with Stellenbosch and the Winelands in the north.

It then passes across the agricultural plains through the towns of Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam and Riversdale to re-approach the coast at Mossel Bay, which marks the beginning of the Garden Route.

After crossing the Bloukrans Bridge, the N2 becomes the Sunshine Coast Road, passing through the Southern edge of the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve, and regains freeway status between Nompumelelo and Witsiebos.

It becomes a four-lane dual carriageway freeway at the Van Stadens Bridge, which marks its entrance into the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

It runs eastward past the suburbs of Kabega Park and Tulbargh before making a north-easterly turn just after the R102 Kragga Kamma Road/Cape Road intersection in More Grove.

It then bypasses the suburbs of Newton Park and Korsten before meeting the R75 at the Commercial Road Intersection, with the R75 linking to the Gqeberha city centre in the south and to Kariega and Graaff-Reinet in the north.

After Bluewater Bay, it meets the R335 (which provides access to Motherwell) and bypasses the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), with a major intersection with Neptune Road linking the harbour with the N2.

The N2 becomes a four-lane dual carriageway road after leaving Qonce, and regains freeway status at the La Rochelle Street intersection in Berlin, just outside East London.

There are plans for the N2 to run as a four-lane dual carriageway highway from Viedgesville to the Ngqeleni Village turn off, bypassing Mthatha to the south, and then continuing eastwards on the R61, as part of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road.

The N2 then runs east-south-east past the rural towns of Harding and Izingolweni (eZinqoleni), to enter Port Shepstone from the west through its suburb of Marburg, meeting the north-eastern terminus of the R61 highway (an alternative route from Mthatha) at the Oribi Toll Plaza.

The N2 enters the eThekwini Metropolitan Area 60 km (37 mi) south of Durban as a dual carriageway freeway just north of Scottburgh.

It runs past the towns of Umkomaas (eMkhomazi) and Umgababa, before entering the built-up urban area of eThekwini at Kingsburgh and Amanzimtoti.

After the M4 interchange, the N2 runs as an eight-lane dual carriageway freeway around the city of Durban known as the Outer Ring Road, bypassing the suburbs of Mobeni, Chatsworth, Sarnia, Ridgeview and Chesterville, with the M1 Higginson Highway intersection and the M7 Solomon Mahlangu Drive interchange providing access to these suburbs as well as the town of Queensburgh.

It then continues northwards past Parlock, Riverhorse Valley, Briardene and Sea Cow Lake, with the M43 Queen Nandi Drive and the R102 KwaMashu Highway providing access to these places, thereafter exiting the city of Durban and continuing towards Mount Edgecombe and uMhlanga, meeting the M41 at the Mount Edgecombe Interchange where the Durban Outer Ring Road ends.

It then runs to the east of Verulam and to the west of eMdloti (formerly Umdloti), passing by the King Shaka International Airport in La Mercy (where the M65 provides access).

It is tolled for the final time at Mtunzini and meets the R34, which provides access to Richards Bay to the east and Empangeni and Ulundi to the west.

Just after the R34 off-ramp, the N2 ceases to be a dual carriageway and turns north, moving away from the coast into the heart of Zululand, where it bypasses Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park to the west (where the R618 provides access) and runs past the town of Mkuze before turning to the north-west and running close to the border of Eswatini, passing the town of Pongola.

It then heads north-west to Ermelo, where it enters as Voortrekker Lane and terminates at a junction with the N11 (De Emigratie Street) in the town centre, just south of the N11's intersection with the N17.

Heavy vehicles have to take an alternative route via the R62 and Langkloof pass effectively lengthening the distance from George to Wilderness from 11 to over 60 km (6.8 to 38 mi).

[18][19] On 4 December 2008, a few thousand residents of eMachambini, between KwaDukuza and Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, blockaded the N2 Freeway in protest against the proposed AmaZulu World Themepark.

[44][31][43] Those businesses also didn't want any toll plazas found within KwaZulu-Natal to be used to finance the construction of the new greenfields section of road (between Lusikisiki and the C. H. Mitchell Bridge), which is in a different province (Eastern Cape).

[45] Several companies in the area, led by Toyota South Africa, took SANRAL to court, and the proposed Isipingo tollgate was cancelled.