Name of the Project
Boegoebaai deep-water port and rail project.

Location
Boegoebaai, in the Northern Cape of in South Africa, near the Namibian border.

Project Owner/s
State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).

Project Description
The project entails the design, funding and construction of a greenfield deep-water port at Boegoebaai, as well as rail infrastructure linking the port to mines in the province.

The area has also been earmarked as a possible hub for the production and export of green hydrogen and derivative products.

The TNPA released a request for qualification (RFQ) in August 2022 for the design, funding and construction of the proposed greenfield port and rail infrastructure as a precursor to a possible future request for proposals (RFPs).

In July 2023, TNPA released details of the companies participating in the three consortia shortlisted to participate in the bidding process for the project.

The three consortia named were the Boegoebaai Port & Rail Consortium, the Boegoebaai Development Consortium and the Project Elephant Consortium.

The participants in the consortiums include:

• Port of Rotterdam, A.P Moller and Capital, Nako Systra, Nako Iliso, CPRDW-Consulting Port and Coastal Engineers, WBHO, Thelo and DB Scheneker in the Boegoebaai Port & Rail Consortium;
• Meridiam SAS, Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers, Bouygues TP, Vinci Construction, Raubex Group, Coega Development Corporation, Afrimat Limited, WSP Consulting Engineers and Gibb Consulting Engineers in the Boegoebaai Development Consortium; and
• Newlyn Group’s Briardale Trading, Afcon Infrastructure Limited, Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi Anonim Sirketi, Mota-Engil and Traxtion Sheltam in the Project Elephant Consortium.

The release date for the tender has not yet been confirmed.

Potential Job Creation
To be determined.

Capital Expenditure
To be determined.

Planned Start/End Date
The TNPA aims to operationalise a port in the region by 2026.

Latest Developments
The Boegoebaai port and rail development was selected as the lead project in Infrastructure South Africa’s (ISA’s) first bid window for strategic infrastructure preparation in May this year. 

Announced at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, held in Cape Town, in May 2025, the initiative is one of seven projects that will receive ISA’s focused support during the 2025/26 financial year.
Through this programme, ISA aims to ensure selected projects are technically sound, financially viable and attractive to investors – particularly those valued at more than R1-billion and capable of leveraging private-sector or blended finance.

Spearheaded by Transnet, the Boegoebaai project is viewed as a catalytic development with the potential to unlock regional trade and investment. 

Other projects in the window include the Durban–Johannesburg Container Corridor; a solar farm in the Coega Special Economic Zone; and key water, energy and urban upgrade programmes. 

Beyond project preparation, ISA also assists in securing the authorisations, permits and licences required across various spheres of government.

The agency currently manages a portfolio of 305 infrastructure projects across the energy (171), water and sanitation (54) and transport (32) sectors.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
TNPA, tel +27 11 351 9001.