Transnet targets leap in coal exports despite cash squeeze
TRANSNET has targeted 65 million tons (Mt) in delivered coal exports after another year of rail volume growth, but debt and weak cash generation have put a brake on its ambition.…
Miners doubt if Transnet’s rail reform is bankable
SOUTH Africa’s freight rail reform has moved past the stage of being dismissed as another policy aspiration without a timetable. The Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM)…
SA coal exports may hit 75Mt supply ceiling, says Exxaro
SOUTH Africa’s coal industry may struggle to supply more than about 75 million tonnes a year to the Richards Bay export corridor even if Transnet restores rail capacity above…
Exxaro lifts Grootegeluk rail shipments 50%
EXXARO Resources has recorded a roughly 50% improvement in direct coal railings from its Grootegeluk mine in the Waterberg coalfield in Limpopo to Richards Bay, CEO Ben Magara…
Thungela ready to tap extra rail capacity with third-party coal
Thungela Resources could use further improvements in Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) capacity to move more third-party coal to Richards Bay, as its South African mines are already…
Thungela says asset sale to power first half earnings
THUNGELA Resources expects to report sharply higher earnings for the six months to 30 June 2026, supported by a non-cash profit on the sale of the Kleinkopje mining right despite…
Glencore weighs restart of South African coal projects
GLENCORE said it would consider restarting coal projects in South Africa as rail export capacity was restored to as much as 70 million tons (Mt) over time. “For the first time –…
SA coal exports could rise 10% in 2026, says terminal
THE Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is running in line with its 2026 coal export volume forecast as of the end of June having exported just over 30 million tons (Mt) compared…
South32-Alcoa deal exposes beneficiation myth
THERE are few words in South African economic policy more seductive than “beneficiation”. It has everything: moral uplift, industrial ambition, a pleasingly muscular rhythm and…
Thungela’s Ensham misses out on coal export price boost
THUNGELA Resources has some serious catch up to do if it’s to meet year end export coal production guidance from its South African division. The R13.4bn miner reported 6.2…
Grindrod’s harbour expansion is steaming ahead
PORTS, logistics and rail specialist Grindrod has been gaining more steam in recent weeks. Just before the end of April the share touched a five-year high of R22.26, giving the…
Transnet signs rail deals in major boost for network reform
TRANSNET said on Wednesday it had secured an additional 24 million tons of freight capacity on the South African rail network after signing agreements with 11 independently run…
Rio Tinto considers options to exit RBM
GLOBAL miner Rio Tinto is “evaluating its options” for its Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) titanium business and actively testing the market for its borates business, it said in its…
Why SA coal export prices haven’t shot the lights out
SHARES in Thungela Resources have surged 80% in six months, driven mostly by the US/Israel attack on Iran in late February, which is when the coal miner’s valuation received its…
Transnet reform critical if SA wants role in SADC metals flow
THE century-old Benguela railway is back in business. Running from the copper belt of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Zambia to Angola’s deep-water port of Lobito,…
There’s more to Exxaro price surge than energy security
SHARES in Exxaro Resources ran to a three year high this week and were not far short of their five-year high, reached in 2022. That was shortly after Russia’s invasion of…
Rio Tinto exits diamonds after half a century
RIO Tinto has closed its last diamond mine, ending more than 50 years in the business as the world’s second-largest miner sharpens its focus on copper, iron ore, aluminium and…
Exxaro says coal contract talks may be “strained” by oil crisis
COAL contract negotiations could become “more strained” owing to energy security concerns even as the same worry is forcing buyers to seek longer contracts, said Exxaro Resources…
Exxaro boosts payout as Iran crisis drives coal higher
EXXARO Resources declared a R10 per share (R3.4bn) final dividend today following robust headline profits for the year ended December. The payout, 15% higher than last year, was…
Thungela expects full-year loss on coal weakness
THUNGELA Resources has warned it expects to report a loss for the year to end-December 2025, blaming weaker coal markets and adverse currency movements for a sharp deterioration…