South Africa’s Rail Network Needs Urgent Repair

MoneyWeb reports that the Africa Rail Industry Association suggests that South Africa’s railway network, which is responsible for 80% of Africa’s total network, needs to be reduced to no more than 5,500km long and should be funded and managed by the private sector. The rail network has faced challenges such as poor management, underinvestment, and theft of cabling, leading to a decline of 29% in rail freight volumes in the past five years. As a result, pressure on roads has increased, and currently, 87% of all freight in South Africa is transported via roads. The chairman of the Africa Rail Industry Association said: “We seem to be approaching a critical inflection point with regards to our railways”.

Sanral Struggles to Find Contractor for Flood-Damaged Tongaat Bridge Repair

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) is considering bids for a suitable contractor to temporarily repair the M4 Tongaat Bridge in KwaZulu-Natal, almost a year after devastating April 2022 floods damaged it, reports TimesLive. Sanral has advertised the R40 million contract five times as the bids received were not compliant. This has frustrated businesses in the area that have lost millions of rand due to the delay. The floods rendered three economic arteries of the iLembe District,  the M4, R102, and P103, impassable, and the delay in appointing the contractor has affected businesses and developments that rely on access provided by the M4. Sanral has confirmed that closed tender bids are now being considered.

Shoprite Debuts Clothing Store

South African supermarket chain Shoprite has opened the first Uniq clothing store in its portfolio, reports MoneyWeb. The move sees Shoprite compete with Pick n Pay, which has quietly built up a large clothing business in the past decade with over 300 standalone PnP Clothing stores, plus 180-odd hypermarkets and supermarkets with clothing offerings. The Uniq range is focused on “premium basics”. Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht said the group didn’t appreciate direct comparisons with Pick n Pay, and denied he was taking on Pick n Pay Clothing.

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