TRANSNET said on Wednesday it had secured an additional 24 million tons of freight capacity on the South African rail network after signing agreements with 11 independently run operating companies.
The agreements, covering freight of coal, manganese as well as fuel, containers and general freight are the first fruits of the Transnet Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) which has allocated slots to operators. It also paves the way towards concessioning the network – an important step in recapitalising the country’s ageing rail infrastructure.
Transnet said the agreements – which include deals signed with coal exporter Menar and Grindrod – had potential to scale to 52Mt over the next five years, supporting the national objective of increasing rail volumes from approximately 180Mt to 250mt by 2030.
“This milestone represents more than just slot allocation, it signals the creation of a functional and competitive rail marketplace. We have moved from policy design to practical implementation, enabling real private sector participation and investment in rail,” said TRIM CEO Moshe Motlohi.
TRIM has introduced ad hoc access to the line which allows operators to bring rolling stock on line in short order outside of the normal railing schedule. A Cato Ridge to Durban ad hoc utilisation would become operational this month, Transnet said.
The operating agreements with TRIM provide another signal that the government-owned ports and rail company is making progress in overcoming years of underperformance, in part owing to its undercapitalisation, but also due to rampant corruption.
The signs for the country’s mining sector have been promising over the last 18 months, largely as new group CEO Michelle Phillips has implemented reform.
South African coal exports from Richards Bay increased 10.7% in 2025 which represents the highest volume in four years, said the privately-owned Richards Bay Coal Terminal in January. Exports totalled 57.66Mt which compares with 52.08Mt in 2024 and 47.21Mt in 2023 – the lowest in about 40 years.
South Africa’s eight commercial seaports handled 304 million tons of cargo in the 2025-26 financial year, up 4.2% from a year earlier, said Bloomberg citing an earlier statement from Transnet.
