Grindrod Appoints Former Transnet Executive Siyanda Mba as CEO of Rail Solutions Business

Grindrod has named Siyanda Mba Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Rail Solutions, effective 1 October 2026, as the company prepares to run its own freight trains on South Africa's national rail network.

Mba brings more than 25 years of experience across manufacturing, logistics and rail operations. Her most recent role was General Manager: Manganese at Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), where she oversaw the movement of manganese from the Northern Cape mining regions to export terminals.

Her career at Transnet also spans steel and cement logistics, containers and the automotive sector, giving her experience across both bulk commodities and general freight.

The appointment comes as Grindrod prepares to become one of the private operators on South Africa's rail network under the open-access programme.

The company signed a Rail Access Agreement with the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) in May 2026 and has been allocated two weekly train slots on the North-East Corridor. The service will initially move coal from Mpumalanga to Grindrod's Matola terminal in Mozambique.

Grindrod has set a first-year target of approximately 288,000 tonnes, with operations expected to begin in 2027, subject to the completion of remaining operational and contractual requirements.

The group sees rail as central to feeding cargo into its port terminals and easing logistics bottlenecks across the region, positioning Grindrod Rail Solutions as a key link between South Africa's mining regions and the Port of Maputo corridor.