In advocating for reindustrialisation in South Africa and the creation of new jobs, diversified mining group Menar is expanding its portfolio of operations with the February 2026 addition of a dedicated rail and port logistics business – Menar Ports & Rail (MPR), which will deliver integrated transport solutions for mineral exporters.

Following the critical August 2025 milestone of Menar being granted access to South Africa’s national rail network through State rail company Transnet’s Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) scheme, MPR is transitioning into a full train operating company (TOC). Under this scheme, MPR was granted an allocation of 8.69-million tonnes of rail capacity.

As one of the 11 private TOCs granted access by TRIM, MPR intends to use its access to the national rail networks to transport mineral commodities and beneficiated goods, for both itself and third-party mines, from pit to port.

Backed by a team of skilled professionals, MPR has access to major export terminals, including the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, the Richards Bay Dry Bulk Terminal, the Richards Bay Grindrod Terminal and Durban terminals.

“MPR plays a crucial role in linking Menar’s mining and beneficiation operations to domestic and export markets by providing integrated rail operations, siding management, stockpiling and material handling solutions,” says MPR head Pragasen Pillay.

The company also offers back-of-port logistics operations up to the quayside interface.

As part of its holistic offering and capability, MPR manages strategic rail sidings at Rietkuil Siding, Panbult Siding, Bronkhorstspruit Siding and the siding at its Khwelamet operations, as well as integrated weighbridge and load verification systems.

The decision by MPR, a member of the African Rail Industry Association, to apply for third-party rail access aligns with South Africa’s rail reform efforts to alleviate the rail-to-port logistics crisis of recent years that significantly reduced the competitiveness of South Africa’s exports in global markets, he explains.

“Seeing how logistical constraints affected our operations and those of others across the industry, we decided to participate in solution-seeking discussions that involve the private sector and government.

“The allocation of rail access by TRIM to private operators has created a meaningful opportunity for government and the private sector to work together to address long-standing logistics constraints. In doing so, it has the potential to generate much-needed employment, revitalise South Africa’s once-thriving rail industry and stimulate the recovery of local manufacturing,” adds Pillay.

By aligning rail and port operations with customer demand, and deploying fit-for-purpose assets supported by performance-driven planning, MPR aims to create more competitive and efficient routes to market that strengthen miners’ positions in global export markets, he says.

Rail Access Use Case

To get the rail business fully operational, MPR intends to purchase its own locomotives and wagons, which will require an estimated R4.5-billion to R5-billion in investments.

Plans are also underway to create employment opportunities across rail operations and logistics, while investing in the training and development of locomotive drivers, highly skilled technicians and other technical personnel, as the business expands.

While Menar intends to use MPR to facilitate improved market access for its coal, manganese and anthracite operations, the group also anticipates significant strategic value from its application to Khwelamet – Menar’s newly- acquired Meyerton-based ferromanganese smelter complex.

Khwelamet, which is managed through Khwela Capital – a joint venture between Menar and Ntiso Investment Holdings – is in the process of gradually restarting its operations after it was acquired from Samancor Manganese in 2025.

“MPR will enable seamless transportation of manganese ore from the Northern Cape to Khwelamet, and to rail the [beneficiated] ferromanganese product to the port, allowing it to be exported to customers,” enthuses Pillay.

“The company is positioning itself as a fully integrated logistics provider, delivering end-to-end solutions from mine dispatch through to the port export interface by combining first-mile transport, stockpile management, rail loading, train operations, corridor access and port-side logistics, into one coordinated service,” he says.

This integrated model, elaborates Pillay, reduces the inefficiencies and risks associated with fragmented supply chains by giving mining clients a single point of accountability, lower total logistics costs, improved reliability, faster decision-making and scalable export capacity.

In addition, he points out that MPR’s operating model adopts a differentiated approach to maintenance and asset management, focused on enhancing uptime, reliability and use of high-value equipment.