South African Miners Plan Bid for Ngqura Manganese Export Terminal

A consortium of South African manganese producers plans to bid for the construction and operation of a new manganese export terminal at Ngqura Port in the Eastern Cape, a project aimed at boosting the country’s mineral export capacity and improving logistics efficiency.

Ngqura Container Terminal

The initiative was confirmed by African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), which said its unit Assmang is part of the Manganese Producers Consortium (MPC) preparing to submit a bid for the project.

According to ARM, the consortium intends to partner with Transnet, South Africa’s state-owned freight rail and port operator, to design, build, construct and operate the proposed Ngqura Manganese Ore Export Terminal.

The project is expected to add around 16 million metric tons of manganese export capacity, helping ease long-standing bottlenecks in South Africa’s rail and port infrastructure.

Transnet Opens Infrastructure to Private Investment

Transnet has indicated it plans to invite bids for the new manganese export terminal around April 2026, as part of broader efforts to bring private sector investment into South Africa’s logistics network.

The move comes as the state-owned operator seeks to restore rail and port capacity that has declined in recent years, constraining exports of key commodities such as manganese, iron ore and coal.

Private sector participation is increasingly viewed as critical to improving the efficiency of the country’s mining export corridors.

Integrated Rail and Port System Preferred

Speaking during ARM’s results presentation, Maryke Burger, chief executive of the company’s ferrous division, said manganese producers would ideally like to operate both the rail line and port infrastructure as part of an integrated logistics system.

According to Burger, the consortium will review the terms of the request for quotation once it is issued to determine whether rail operations will also form part of the concession.

South Africa Dominates Global Manganese Resources

South Africa holds around 70% of the world’s manganese resources and is the largest producer of the mineral globally. Manganese is primarily used in steel production, making it a critical commodity for industrial manufacturing.

Most of South Africa’s manganese exports are shipped to China, the world’s largest steel producer.

The country exported an estimated 26.2 million tonnes of manganese in 2025, a record level, surpassing the previous peak of 22.3 million tonnes recorded in 2024, according to the Minerals Council South Africa.

ARM Results Reflect Manganese Price Pressure

Despite the strong export volumes, ARM reported that its manganese operations experienced significant pressure on profitability.

Headline earnings from manganese ore operations declined 76%, largely due to a 22% fall in the average US-dollar price for high-grade ore.

However, the diversified mining group still reported a 10% increase in overall profit, reaching 1.67 billion rand ($100.81 million) for the six months ending December 31. The improvement was supported by stronger prices for platinum group metals, which offset weaker performance in manganese, iron ore and the company’s coal division.