Transnet transported 58-million fewer tonnes of coal, iron ore and other commodities in the 2022/3 financial year than it did 10 years ago, with coal making up a third of its freight.

The state-owned entity attributed its reduced rail capacity to underinvestment in network rehabilitation, vandalism, disputes over locomotive contracts, and sabotage.

This capacity issue is a problem for producers like Thungela, which might need to stockpile export-bound coal, resulting in fewer tonnes of coal exported. Such disruptions have severe economic implications for South Africa, a leading coal exporter.

Transnet’s general freight business saw a decrease of 11-million tonnes in 2022/23 compared with 2021/22. This was due to a weak economic climate and ‘operational challenges’.