Transnet Freight Rail carried 167.9Mt of freight in FY2025/26, up 4.9%, as coal exports rose to 58.5Mt and iron ore to 52.8Mt, but the operator says it must clear 180Mt to meet demand.
Kumba railed 8.9 million tonnes to Saldanha Bay in the second quarter, 8% less than in the first, after Transnet took the ore line out for ten days of restoration work that replaced 101km of track.
Richards Bay Coal Terminal exported just over 30 million tonnes of coal in the first half of 2026 and could reach about 62 million tonnes for the year if Transnet sustains its rail recovery.
Transnet Port Terminals has finished testing a new R4bn tippler at Saldanha Bay, the terminal that handles about 96% of South Africa's iron-ore exports, with full handover due in September 2026.
Transnet has concluded access agreements with 11 train operating companies covering coal, manganese, containers and fuel, in the first big step of its open-access rail reform.
Richards Bay Coal Terminal exported 57.66 million tonnes of coal in 2025, up more than 10%, and CEO Alan Waller says a consistent 65-million-tonne annual rate is achievable in 2026.
