Gauteng

The N17 begins in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg, north of Rosettenville, at a t-junction with Wemmer Pan Road (Johannesburg's M11 road), heading eastwards. It starts by heading for ten kilometres (with two westbound-only off-ramps at the M19 and M31 roads), passing under the N12 highway (Johannesburg Ring Road), to form an interchange with the N3 highway just south of Rand Airport. As part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, there are now two slip roads linking the N17 to the N12; one linking the N17 West to the N12 West and one linking the N12 East to the N17 East (previously only possible via the N3 freeway). At the N3 interchange is the Gosforth Toll Plaza (the first N17 toll plaza).

From the N3 interchange, the N17 goes eastwards through the City of Ekurhuleni for thirty kilometres, bypassing Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni and Brakpan, meeting the R21 and R23, to Springs, where there are off-ramp junctions with Tonk Meter Road (M63 road) and Wit Road (R51 road). This marks the end of section 1 of the proclaimed N17 route. On this section, just after the R23 junction in the suburb of Dalpark in Brakpan, is a tollgate (Dalpark Toll Plaza).

The N17 national route continues for 50 kilometres eastwards from the R51 Springs junction, meeting the R42 and bypassing Devon (the last town of the Gauteng Province), to reach the town of Leandra, which is the first town in the Mpumalanga Province. This marks the end of section 2 of the proclaimed N17 route.

From Johannesburg, the N17 is followed by the R29 road (parallel from Springs). This road may be used as an alternative in times when the N17 Section 2 is experiencing issues.

Mpumalanga

In Leandra, the N17 reaches an intersection with the R50 road, which is the end of section 2. At this interchange, there is a tollgate (Leandra Toll Plaza).

The N17 used to form a Z-shape in Leandra, being concurrent with the R50 from this junction north-westwards for 3 kilometers up to the junction with the R29, where the N17 would continue eastwards. But Today, the N17 is a continuous eastwards highway from its primary junction with the R50. (Avoiding the Leandra Town Centre and the upcoming Kinross Town Centre by bypassing to the south)

So, as the R29 used to end at the junction with the R50, it now also continues eastwards on that old section of the N17 route through Leandra Central and Kinross Central, remaining an alternative route to the current N17.

From the R50 junction, the N17 continues eastwards for twenty kilometres, bypassing Kinross, to meet the R580 road at a point north-east of Evander and north-west of Secunda. This junction, known as the Leven Station Junction, also marks the eastern end of the R29 route (the N17 highway no longer has a parallel, backup route following it for the remainder of its length) (the N17 continues eastwards on its old alignment from here).

From the R29/R580 junction, the N17 continues eastwards for another ten kilometres to reach the town of Trichardt. As the N17 used to pass through the Trichardt town centre, it has now been realigned to bypass it to the north, remaining one continuous main road.

From Trichardt, the N17 continues eastwards for 25 kilometres, through the Trichardt Toll Plaza, to reach the town of Bethal, which marks the end of section 3 of the proclaimed N17 route. North of Bethal town centre, the N17 meets the R35 and R38 routes and they become one road southwards through the town centre (Moses Kotane Street) for a few kilometres. At Bethal Police Station, the R38 becomes its own road south-west and in the southern suburbs, the R35 becomes its own road southwards.

From the R35 split in Bethal, the N17 goes eastwards for fifty kilometres to the city of Ermelo, which marks the end of section 4 of the proclaimed N17 route. Approximately 13 kilometres before Ermelo is the last N17 toll plaza (Ermelo Toll Plaza). As of 2015, plans are underway to find a route for construction in order for traffic to skip the town centre.^[2][3][4][5]

In Ermelo Central, the N17 enters as Joubert Street and meets the north-eastern terminus of the R39 road before it reaches an intersection with the N11 national route (Kerk Street), just one kilometre north of the N11's intersection with the N2 national route terminus. The N17 joins the N11 northwards up to the junction with Fourie Street, where the N17 turns eastwards. The route continues towards the north-east, meeting the western terminus of the R65 road just after Ermelo Central. At the junction with the southern terminus of the R36 road approximately 7 kilometres from Ermelo Central, the N17 continues eastwards by way of a right turn.

3 kilometers before the town of Warburton, the N11 is joined by the R33 route eastwards and they are one road for 10 kilometers, bypassing Warburton, before the R33 becomes its own road southwards.

The N17 continues eastwards to reach the Oshoek border post with Eswatini, marking its end. It becomes the MR3 road on the other side and proceeds through Ngwenya to the city of Mbabane (Eswatini's Capital City).

The 5th and last section of the proclaimed N17 route, from Ermelo through Chrissiesmeer, Warburton and Hartebeeskop to Oshoek is 123 kilometers. The total distance of the N17 national route from Johannesburg is 330 kilometres. (290 kilometers from Springs)