With this expansion, the company now operates in nine African countries, strengthening its position as a key player in the continent's freight rail industry.
Founded in 1987 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Traxtion has built a solid reputation as a reliable provider of rail services. The company’s operations, centred around its rail services hub in Roslyn, Pretoria, involve maintaining, refurbishing, and overhauling locomotives. It also trains railway personnel and offers leasing solutions for rolling stock, as well as running freight rail operations on behalf of its customers.
Traxtion’s Brand, Communications, and Marketing Manager, Nnoni Mokgethi, outlined the company’s significant impact on the freight rail sector. Mokgethi explained that Traxtion’s services have enabled mines and other businesses across Africa to operate more efficiently, leading to job creation and stimulating local economies.
“We are proud to have contributed to the creation of jobs and the development of local industries in countries like Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now Angola,” Mokgethi said. “By sending our skilled artisans and empowering local workers with new skills, we ensure that our operations contribute to sustainable growth.”
Over the past five years, Traxtion’s operations have created numerous jobs across the continent. Mokgethi noted that the company not only hires local personnel but also trains them in various railway skills through its training centre, providing long-term employment opportunities.
As for Angola, Mokgethi highlighted the country’s untapped freight potential as a key reason for Traxtion’s expansion. “Rail is well-positioned to act as a catalyst for economic growth in Africa, and Angola’s growing infrastructure needs provide a promising opportunity for us to contribute to the development of the region,” she explained.
Traxtion’s move into Angola also reflects the growing trend of private-public partnerships in Africa's freight rail sector. Mokgethi pointed to successful collaborations with national railway authorities in Zambia and Tanzania, where private operators have helped unlock the potential of previously underutilised rail networks, generating significant revenue and increasing freight volumes.
--ChannelAfrica--
