South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe is expanding his mining empire through a major infrastructure investment. His company, African Rainbow Minerals, has joined a consortium to develop a new manganese export terminal at Ngqura Port in the Eastern Cape. The project, a collaboration between the Manganese Producers Consortium and state-owned logistics company Transnet, aims to centralize and scale manganese exports, creating a new gateway for South Africa’s dominant position in the global manganese market.
The Ngqura terminal will serve as a primary hub for manganese exports, complementing existing logistics networks and replacing the aging Port Elizabeth Manganese Terminal, which currently handles around 5.5 million tons annually. The new facility is designed to handle 16 million tons per year initially, with the potential to scale up to 22 million tons, addressing long-standing export bottlenecks.
Transnet is also upgrading rail corridors linking Northern Cape mining regions to the port, ensuring smoother transport of ore and concentrate to global markets. ARM’s participation signals confidence in both its financial capacity and South Africa’s policy drive toward greater local participation in mining infrastructure.
African Rainbow Minerals enters the consortium from a strong financial position. Interim earnings rose 10 percent to R8.66 per share, reflecting growing profitability and balance sheet strength. The company also reported robust performance in its platinum joint ventures with Anglo American at the Modikwa Mine and Impala Platinum at Two Rivers Mine, contributing to headline earnings that jumped 200 percent to R704 million.
While coal and ferrous divisions faced pressures, ARM declared an interim dividend of R5 per share and maintained a net cash position of R8.46 billion, providing financial flexibility for infrastructure commitments. The sale of ARM’s Sakura manganese processing facility and increased control of the Nkomati Nickel Mine further strengthened liquidity.
South Africa holds roughly 75 percent of the world’s identified manganese ore reserves, primarily in the Kalahari Basin. Over 85 percent of this output is exported, representing about 36 percent of global seaborne manganese trade. The new terminal positions the country to efficiently serve both traditional steelmaking markets and the growing battery sector, where manganese demand is rising due to electric vehicle growth.
The Ngqura project also aligns with South African government policies promoting domestic ownership and downstream beneficiation, helping keep more revenue onshore while supporting employment in the mining and logistics sectors.
