NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Deep-rooted problems in South Africa’s state-owned ports and rail company that threaten to plunge Africa’s most industrialized economy into a crisis played a key role in prompting plans to impose strict cost-cutting measures across government departments.

Transnet, which brought in $36.4 billion in revenue in the 2022/23 fiscal year, is grappling with a shortage of freight trains and inefficient ports that has cut income from exports, particularly mining.

Photo courtesy of lchunt.