The engineering division of South Africa’s state-owned freight and rail operator has announced that it has expanded its focus to operate in the maritime sector.
It will include projects conducting research, design, manufacturing, refurbishment and maintenance of port equipment.
The move represents an important extension of the division’s traditional engineering role, which has focused exclusively on rolling stock for the past 150 years.
Transnet Engineering (TE) general manager for Manufacturing and Ports, Tshwanelo Tswai, said the division is expanding its footprint to develop new business opportunities with other operating divisions (ODs) and external market stakeholders, including exploring opportunities to work on projects for African ports and in international markets.
“Transnet is the lifeblood of South Africa’s economy and, across the organisation, in every OD, we are committed to unlocking opportunities and improving the way we service our customers to achieve economic growth,” Tswai said.
“At TE, that meant exploring new markets and, after only three years, we can confidently say that we no longer rely solely on original equipment manufacturers. We are manufacturing from scratch right here at our plants, driving skills development and job creation as well as ensuring optimal utilisation of TE assets and capabilities for the sustainability of the industry.”
TE is currently supporting the ports of Cape Town, Saldanha, Richards Bay, Durban, Gqeberha and Ngqura where it is involved in the manufacturing, repair, refurbishment, assembly and maintenance of port handling equipment including port haulers, trailers, skips and straddle carriers, among others.
Speaking during a site visit to the TE Salt River plant this week, Siyabonga Maqabangqa, executive manager for Port Business, said the division is exploring its future capacity potential through research and development.
He said the division is aiming to eventually be able to manufacture equipment such as bogeys (a four-wheeled undercarriage that supports the weight of a rail vehicle like a train carriage or wagon) in its entirety and not just components as is currently the case.
“We currently do repairs and refurbishment of rubber-tyred gantries staircases, a component that takes a significant beating in the container terminals, but we also have the capacity to design and manufacture these from scratch,” Maqabangqa added.
TE corporate affairs executive, Zodwa Mashishi, said the expansion of operational capacity means that the division can help the group improve operations.
“TE is now able to support Transnet Port Terminals and Transnet National Ports Authority with equipment manufactured on home soil, which ultimately reduces lead times and improves their ability to service their customers more effectively, especially given that time is always critical in the logistics sector,” Mashishi said.
According to TE, the plan is to significantly increase its market share in the port equipment maintenance and manufacturing sector.
It is hoped that these initiatives will not only strengthen its position within South Africa but also establish its presence as a key player across the African continent and restore stakeholder confidence in the engineering division.
