Transport Minister Barbara Creecy urged women in the rail sector to prepare for a series of upcoming rail projects that she said would create new opportunities for companies and professionals who want to enter the market.

Speaking at the launch of the Women in Rail South Africa (WIRSA) event held in Midrand, on November 14, she said that these projects would shape the next decade of rail reform and modernisation, and women ought to position themselves early to gain real advantage.

She added that the launch of WIRSA had come at the right moment because the sector was entering a “new golden age of rail”.

Creecy cited several “major opportunities”, noting that State-owned freight company Transnet, for example, would issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the Richards Bay bulk ore terminal before year-end.

Further, a second RFP for the manganese line from the Northern Cape to the Western Cape is expected in January, with a RFP for the general freight line between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal – which she described as one of the most important freight corridors in the region – expected in April.

“June will see the RFP for the iron-ore line from Sishen to Saldanha, which remains a strategic export corridor,” she confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has also opened requests for information linked to its long-term modernisation plans, including interest in broadband commercialisation, property developments, depot upgrades and new rapid-rail routes.

“The proposed routes include a Gauteng to Musina corridor, a Gauteng to Mbombela corridor and a Gauteng to eThekwini corridor. These projects present clear entry points for companies that want to support engineering, operations and planning work as the agency prepares for modernisation. Women must prepare early because project teams form long before construction begins and those who understand the pipeline will secure more influence,” she noted.

While recognising that women often advance on the basis of their performance, Creecy noted that “long-term growth requires an understanding future trends”, and women must leverage these rail developments to guide training, partnerships and investment decisions.

WIRSA chairperson Staff Sithole said the launch marked the start of a unified effort to support women as the rail sector opened up. “The organisation aims to ensure women’s visibility, participation and advancement in an industry central to South Africa’s economic development”.

She explained that WIRSA was created with support from various rail associations, operators and agencies to create a formal structure that could “champion women’s participation, leadership and innovation within the rail value chain”.

Sithole suggested that WIRSA would help women gain access to mentorship, networks and leadership support so they could compete for roles linked to the opportunities outlined by Creecy.

The Minister added that global trends showed a reversion back to rail because it reduced carbon emissions, supported regional trade and provided safer logistics. She warned that South Africa could lose long-held advantages without a rapid shift, stating: “If we don’t come to the party very soon, we can find ourselves getting elbowed out of the strategic advantages that we’ve had historically.”

Creecy closed by urging women to take deliberate steps to position themselves in this shifting landscape.