The South African government has officially permitted private firms to operate on Transnet’s freight rail network, in an effort to address long‐standing capacity, maintenance, and throughput challenges.

Impact: The government expects these private operators to move an additional ~20 million tonnes of freight per year starting from the 2026/27 financial year, as part of its target to raise rail freight to ~250 million tonnes annually by 2029.

Scope: 11 out of 25 applicants have already met the regulatory, safety, and operational requirements and are moving into contract negotiations. Reuters+1

Routes: Slots have been allocated across 41 core routes, especially those handling bulk commodities such as coal, iron ore, chrome, manganese, sugar, and fuel. Reuters+1