Mostly decent, slightly rough asphalt. This section is still quite easy to drive, but if you want to continue from Chaffar towards the southwest, you should think twice about making this detour. The Chaffar <> Mahres section has such an extremely rough surface that all screws should be checked after the trip ;-)
Even with 30 mm tires and 4.5 bar, the route is really bad. The main road RN1 is not as busy and IMHO is much easier to drive.
In winter (February for me) Chaffar is deserted.