Creecy wants rail back on track as road transport costs rise

The rail sector in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is coming back to life due to soaring road transport costs.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says that with fuel prices on an upward trajectory, government needs to ensure rail effectively competes with road freight services.

She says government is committed to rehabilitating rail to reduce carbon emissions and ease transport costs for households and businesses, among other things.

Hon.

Barbara Creecy, Minister of Transport of South Africa -SADC Interim Chairperson, speaking at the SADC High‑Level Ministerial Round Table Dialogue, emphasizes that SADC must harness new technologies in a coordinated way to strengthen aviation’s role in integration, trade and development.

She noted opportunities through SAATM and AfCFTA, urged member states to address taxes, fees and regulatory barriers, stressing that strong regional commitment must be matched by effective implementation to unlock affordable and competitive air travel. — Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) June 25, 2026 Creecy was speaking at the South African Railways Association conference in Johannesburg this week, under the theme “Reimagining Rail: Unlocking Investment and Industrialisation, Growth and Connectivity Across Africa.

South Africa’s rail industry is undergoing major shifts as rising fuel costs force commuters and businesses to explore cheaper transport alternatives.

Creecy says government is hard at work to ensure cheaper transport options for all through public-private partnerships, open-access network slots and private sector investment.

Currently, South Africa manages about 21 000km of freight network, which accounts for approximately 80% of Africa’s total rail infrastructure.

“Increased rail utilization, particularly in the context of elevated diesel prices, can ensure that freight rail more effectively competes with trucking, and my belief is that this is the case even if we’re talking about the utilization of diesel locos.

Here in South Africa, through our rail entity Transnet, we are already working on rail corridor developments with both Eswatini and Botswana, as well as strengthening our existing rail ties with Mozambique,” says Creecy.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has ruled out seeking an increase in the fuel levy while she remains in office, saying motorists are already under too much financial pressure and the government must first address problems at the RAF. https://t.co/Ga8hWMs9uO — Cape {town} Etc (@CapeTownEtc) October 13, 2026 Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Joshua Sacco, says Zimbabwe is slowly moving from road freight to rail due to the recent boom in the country’s commodities.