The company intends to use its conditional access to national rail networks to transport mineral commodities from pit to port, for its own products and other mining operations. Menar is one of 11 private companies granted access through the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) scheme, launched by Transnet to boost the country's rail capacity and support exports. Speaking at the McCloskey Steel and Ferroalloys Conference this week, Menar’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ruan Nothnagel, mentioned that the company is looking to secure billions of Rands worth of investments to purchase locomotives and wagons.

Nothnagel said plans were also afoot to create employment opportunities and train its own locomotive drivers as the business progresses. “We intend to use this as an opportunity to do our part in helping the South African economy to reindustrialise and create sustainable employment,” he stated. A member of the African Rail Industry Association, MPR will offer a range of services from managing strategic sidings, train loading infrastructure, port-side stockpiling facilities and bulk material handling systems, amongst other things.

MPR will have access to major export corridors and terminals, including Richards Bay Coal Terminal, Richards Bay Dry Bulk Terminal, Richards Bay Grindrod Terminal, and the Maputo Corridor (TCM), enabling access to global markets.

Nothnagel said Menar decided to apply for conditional access because it was facing constraints in moving volumes like other mineral commodities producers in the country. In addition, the company has experience in the space. “We are experienced, we have a very good logistics team, and we can guarantee the volumes, so it makes sense for us,” he said.

Menar’s entry into the logistics business is not only strategic to its coal, anthracite and manganese mining operations, but it will also contribute to its Khwelamet ferromanganese complex based in Meyerton, Gauteng. 

Khwelamet, which is managed through a joint venture with Khwela Capital, is in the process of gradually restarting its operations after it was acquired from Samancor Manganese in 2025. The company will be able to seamlessly transport manganese ore from the Northern Cape to the Meyerton smelter facility, and to rail the ferromanganese product to the port, allowing it to be exported to customers.