SISHEN, Northern Cape – Parts of the 861 km iron ore export railway line that stretches from Sishen in the Northern Cape to Saldanha Port in the Western Cape are currently undergoing an annual maintenance shutdown. This is a vital intervention in this heavy-haul rail corridor that carries R110 billion (as in 2025) worth of iron ore exports annually and underpins the competitiveness of one of the nation’s top five export products.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy visited the iron ore line maintenance shutdown in Upington on Monday 12 October, spotlighting government efforts to improve rail safety, reliability and efficiency along the 861 km corridor. This shutdown focuses on specific areas including loops 14 to 17 near Upington, with work encompassing rail and sleeper replacement, ballast screening, turnout work, formation rehabilitation and electrical and signalling upgrades. The shutdown of loops 14 to 17 is scheduled for completion by 16 October.

After years of heavy use, a build-up of maintenance issues with the tracks, signalling systems, locomotives and freight wagons has undermined export reliability. The restoration programme includes renewing tracks, upgrading electrical and signalling systems, and repairing rolling stock to eliminate long-standing maintenance backlogs and enhance transport reliability.

The government has committed R8.9 billion to the iron ore line restoration programme, aiming to repair the 861-kilometre freight corridor that connects Sishen and the Port of Saldanha, by 2030. About R2.2 billion is being spent on restorative maintenance in the current financial year.

Economic significance and export performance

“When this corridor performs well, mines can move their commodities efficiently, exporters can reach international markets, ports can operate more effectively, and businesses across the logistics value chain can grow,” said Creecy. She added that it will also strengthen South Africa’s position as a reliable trading partner.

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Iron ore, the primary raw material used to make steel, is one of South Africa’s top mineral export materials. In 2025, South Africa exported R110 billion worth of iron ore, making it the fifth-most-exported product. In July of this year alone, the country exported R8.26 billion in iron ore. The Sishen Mine, operated by Kumba Iron Ore (a subsidiary of Anglo American), is one of the biggest open-pit mines in the world, measuring around 14 kilometre long.

However, Kumba Iron Ore CEO Mpumi Zikalala, speaking at last week’s Joburg Indaba conference, said the miner had been forced to “reconfigure” its business for “a lower base” because logistics constraints meant it could no longer plan production at previous levels. Production is forecast at 31 million to 33 million tonnes this year, partly due to work on the ultra-high dense medium separation (UHDMS) project at Sishen, before rising to 35 million to 37 million tonnes in 2027.

Challenges and industry response

Rail performance has stabilised after years of deterioration, but Zikalala said the improvement is still not enough. “We’ve seen stability when it comes to performance, but I underline stability because it’s stability with marginal gains,” she said. “There’s still a lot that needs to be done.” Restoring the network would need “capital, it requires skills, and it requires speed”, she added.

South Africa accounts for less than 5% of global iron ore supply and its Northern Cape producers compete against much larger international rivals—a challenge compounded by the need to move iron ore more than 860 kilometres from mines to port.

Despite logistics constraints, Kumba continues to invest in extending the productive life of its Northern Cape operations, spending R11.2 billion on its UHDMS project at Sishen, which will allow lower-grade material previously classified as waste to be processed as ore. The company has more than 1.5 billion tonnes of resources and reserves and continues exploration at Ploegfontein and Heuningkranz, near its Kolomela mine outside Postmasburg.

Infrastructure investment and collaboration

The Transnet National Ports Authority will also be initiating the Bulk Power Upgrade Project at the Port of Saldanha, with an investment of about R750 million to enhance the port’s power supply, enable the operation of a third tippler, and support higher export volumes.

Zikalala said Kumba and the other members of the Ore Users Forum were working closely with Transnet during the restoration programme. “We ask Transnet if there’s anything that they need, and if there is, we jump because we understand that we can only be successful when the corridor and Transnet are successful,” she said.