Since 2008, Makoya has been a preferred coal loader for Transnet Rail Freight, and Eskom, the South African public power utility. As such, we have played a key role in Eskom’s Road-to-Rail Migration Strategy (R2RMS).

We were able to prove the viability of containerised rail transport for coal by designing and implementing an end-to-end handling service. Our solution was tailormade to Eskom’s requirements and involved the design and installation of specialised equipment, and the initiation and maintenance of appropriate systems.

The successful application of the Road-to-Rail Migration Strategy has made Blinkpan Siding near Emalahleni the coal sector’s first multi-user terminal. This allows for a more inclusive approach as smaller-scale coal producers who lack loading facilities can now move their coal on an ad hoc basis.

Makoya also integrated the Camden Coal Terminal and Camden Power Station, so that coal from Blinkpan forms part of a throughput delivering mains electricity to South African business and domestic consumers.

Further to the organisation’s advanced efforts in the establishment of the sector’s first Inland Coal Terminal (ICT), Makoya partnered with Highveld Steel in the conversion of the Witbank rail footprint into a Resource Rail Terminal. This permitted the importing and exporting of a host of commodities and re-opened opportunities for the landowner to commence with production of certain steel merchandise.

Makoya’s experience in coal transport is replicable (with appropriate adaptations) to other raw materials as we continuously seek linkages between suppliers and customers.