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South Africa’s Crumbling Railways Are Becoming a Threat to Global Supply Chains

by Eric Olander

Traffic on South Africa’s main railway line that connects the country’s urban hubs of Johannesburg and Pretoria with Africa’s largest port in Durban operated at just 25% capacity last week — hobbled by rampant theft, vandalism and damage.

The 688-kilometer rail line is one of the world’s most important arteries in the global supply chain as it transports millions of tons of raw materials from across southern Africa to the Port of Durban for shipment to China and other major industrial centers.

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