South Africa has approved 11 private companies to operate trains on key freight rail corridors as part of efforts to revive logistics infrastructure and support economic growth. State-owned rail company Transnet said the firms will transport commodities including coal, manganese, fuel, containers, and general freight across five strategic routes. The private operators are expected to add 24 million tons of freight capacity immediately, with potential to scale to 52 million tons over five years. The move is part of a broader government target to raise annual rail volumes from approximately 180 million metric tons to 250 million tons by 2030, injecting long-needed competition into a network that has historically underperformed. Some operators are expected to begin services this year, while others will launch in 2027.
Reuters
