A consortium of South African manganese producers is positioning itself to design, build and operate a new dedicated export terminal at Ngqura in the Eastern Cape, a move that would give the industry direct control over a critical bottleneck in its export chain.
African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), whose unit Assmang is a member of the Manganese Producers Consortium (MPC), confirmed the plan in a results statement, saying the consortium intends to bid for a joint venture with state-owned Transnet when the request for quotation is issued around April. The proposed Ngqura Manganese Ore Export Terminal would add 16 million metric tonnes of export capacity and significantly improve logistics for a sector that has been constrained by Transnet’s deteriorating infrastructure performance in recent years.
ARM Ferrous Division CEO Maryke Burger said the ideal outcome would extend beyond the port itself. “An integrated system would be the optimal one. We will see if rail is included when the request for quotation proposal comes out,” said Burger.
South Africa holds around 70% of the world’s manganese resources and is the top global producer, with exports estimated at a record 26.2 million tonnes in 2025, up from the previous peak of 22.3 million tonnes in 2024. The bulk of those exports go to China. Despite the record volumes, ARM’s manganese ore operations reported a 76% decline in headline earnings, hit by a 22% drop in the average dollar price for high-grade ore. The diversified miners’ overall profit rose 10% to R1.67 billion for the six months to 31 December, with stronger platinum group metal prices providing the offset.
