Sihamba Sonke Mobility has been appointed by the Gauteng Provincial Government as the new Gautrain concessionaire, after the deal reached financial close.
The company has been assigned to operate, maintain, upgrade, and modernise the Gautrain system for 15 years until 2041.
According to the provincial government, Sihamba Sonke Mobility is a South African-owned company with a 70% local ownership stake
It added that the appointment aims to strengthen operational reliability, improve passenger experience, and support the network’s future expansion and technological modernisation.
On 27 March 2026, the nearly two decade long concession agreement between the Gautrain and the Bombela Concession Company (BCC) came to an end.
The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) said the project was one of South Africa’s largest and most successful Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, and its end marked the end of an important chapter.
“The conclusion of the BCC concession marks the end of an era and a proud moment for Gautrain,” GMA CEO Tshepo Kgobe said.
“As we enter this transitional phase, our priority remains to deliver uninterrupted, world-class service while preparing for a seamless handover to the next concessionaire.”
The GMA noted that passengers can expect Gautrain services will continue without interruption, while it will maintain the high standards, reliability, and efficiency that have defined the system since its inception.
According to the agency, the system has contributed an estimated R46 billion in economic value to the province since the Gautrain’s inception in 2010.
“For every rand invested, R1.72 is returned to the province. Some 245,000 jobs have been created through property development alone around its stations,” it said.
The GMA said approximately 59% of all major office development in Gauteng now clusters around Gautrain nodes.
The Gautrain’s planned expansion
The Gauteng Provincial Government has gazetted new routes and stations to expand the Gautrain’s network, marking a phase of significant expansion.
One of the biggest projects forming part of the expansion is the planned 17.4km link to Lanseria Airport.
According to the provincial government, it will feature elevated viaducts and a station north of the airport’s parking area.
The plans also outlined that the first of the new stations would be built in Soweto, Mamelodi, Springs, Atteridgeville, Fourways, and parts of the West Rand.
The province also noted that the route determination for the Soweto Extension and Cosmo City Junction had been finalised.
According to the expansion plan, new Gautrain stations include:
- Jabulani Station
- Roodepoort Station
- Lanseria Station
- Cradle Station
- Smart City Station
- Samrand Station
- Fourways Station
- Sunninghill Station
- Olievenhoutbosch Station
Connecting Little Falls to Soweto will be a new major 19.9km underground section, while the Cosmo City Junction will serve as a central connector in the expanded network, linking Soweto, Centurion, and Sandton.
From the Sandton Station, the new connections will be linked to the existing Gautrain infrastructure, using Randburg Station as the connection point.
The Little Falls Station to Jabulani Station route will pass through a proposed new station in Roodepoort, while Cosmo City will run to Samrand across new stations in Fourways, Sunninghill, and Olievenhoutbosch.
This route will run entirely underground for 19.9 kilometres through tunnels beneath Roodepoort and into Soweto, while the station buildings will remain above ground.
The Jabulani Station will feature a similar design to the new Roodepoort Station. From Cosmo City to Jabulani, the provincial governement said it planned to add 72km of new rail infrastructure.
The new Gautrain line will begin at the end of the upcoming Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network (GRRIN) Phase 1 route.
It is located about 1.6km south of the planned Little Falls Station, near Hendrik Potgieter Road.
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