Creecy unveils plan to boost rail, port investment
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy launched a Request for
Information on Sunday as part of the government’s effort to tackle SA's
struggling rail and port infrastructure.
The process is aimed at creating an enabling environment for private-sector participation.
Creecy said that the initial phase would focus on the coal line, the manganese line, the iron ore line and the related ports of Richards Bay, Ngqura, PE, Saldanha Bay, and the container line, which carries 65% of non-core freight.
“This includes the port, container and automotive port terminals, back-of-port arrangements, and railway and inland terminals for the Gauteng—Durban port, Gauteng Eastern Cape (East London, Port Elizabeth, Ngqura), and Gauteng - Western Cape (Cape Town) corridors,” Creecy said.
“As you are all aware, South Africa’s rail and port infrastructure faces substantial challenges, including declining performance, theft and vandalism, under-investment, and operational inefficiencies. All these hinder trade and economic growth.
“The limited availability of state resources to fund infrastructure development and address backlogs has intensified these challenges, severely restricting the ability of state-owned entities to fulfil their critical mandates.”
Creecy added that the government and Transnet have received numerous proposals from the private sector offering investment, skills, and expertise to support the rehabilitation and reform of our struggling rail and port systems.
“These are not formal procurement processes in themselves but a mechanism to understand and source information from the market,” said Creecy.
Creecy said the RFI represents a pivotal step to building a 21st-century transport system to strengthen industrial competitiveness, deepen regional integration, and drive inclusive economic growth.
“It will enable us to articulate the challenges in a structured and coherent way, clearly defining their scope, context, and impact to inform the development of focused, strategic, and sustainable solutions. In this regard, the DoT will ensure that the views of a range of other stakeholders are brought into the deliberations, including organised labour.”
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