President Ramaphosa Proposes Permanent Transport Council to Mirror Energy Sector Success and Accelerate Logistics Reform

President Cyril Ramaphosa calls for a permanent transport council to drive growth, reform logistics, and integrate private rail operators by April 2027.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 16, 2026, 10:05 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Engineering News

Institutional Alignment Proposed for National Logistics Network

President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally proposed the establishment of a permanent transport council designed to foster deeper collaboration between the state and private industry. Speaking at the inaugural National Transport Conference in Midrand, the President argued that a unified body is necessary to integrate the disparate modes of land, air, and sea transport into a cohesive growth engine. This proposal is modeled directly on the country’s existing energy council, which the administration credits with stabilizing the national power grid through structured, cross-sector cooperation and shared strategic goals.

Defending Task Teams Amid Operational Breakthroughs

Addressing long-standing criticism regarding the proliferation of committees and task teams, the President maintained that these structures are the primary drivers of recent logistics improvements. He specifically highlighted the work of the National Logistics Crisis Committee, which has overseen what he described as breakthrough projects on critical coal and iron-ore corridors. According to Ramaphosa, these targeted interventions have successfully stabilized operational performance, providing a proven template for the proposed transport council to expand upon as it seeks to institutionalize long-term inclusive growth within the sector.

Expanding Private Participation in Rail Infrastructure

A central pillar of the administration’s reform agenda involves the systemic opening of the rail network to private investment and operation. The President confirmed that the establishment of the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager has transitioned open access from a policy goal into a functional reality. To date, conditional train slots representing 24 million tonnes of annual capacity have been awarded to 11 private operating companies. According to official timelines, the first of these private operators is expected to commence active rail service by April 2027, marking a fundamental shift in the nation’s freight management.