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Coega Steels opens R360m rolling mill in Nelson Mandela Bay

Published

Coega Steels opened the mill at its Zone 6 site in the Coega Special Economic Zone on 20 October. The mill turns steel billets into finished products and brings the company's total investment at the site to R1.5bn.

The mill has an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes. The company said it expects the new facility to employ about 300 people. It said its total workforce should grow from 750 to 900 over the next year, and that operations support more than 2,000 indirect jobs.

Company director Amit Saini said the mill will let Coega Steels supply the Eastern Cape market and the coastline directly from Nelson Mandela Bay. The company also put R500m into expanding its steelmaking operations. Shareholder Ku Tha Ilangovan, who represents India's Agni Steels, spoke about the company's 12 years of growth.

Ilangovan said: "As shareholders, we did not invest in a building or machinery. We have invested in people."

The company says it is investing in renewable energy to lower emissions. About 80% of its emissions come from electricity bought from the municipality. It has about 8MWp of solar capacity and plans 19.8MWp more by the end of 2027. A 50MWh battery storage system should be operating by the end of October 2026.

Key facts

Who
Amit Saini (Director of Coega Steels); Ku Tha Ilangovan (Coega Steels shareholder, representing India's Agni Steels); Salvatore Sarno (Guest of honour; chair of Mediterranean Shipping Company SA and the Indian…); Thsonono Buyeye (Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral committee member)
What
Coega Steels officially opened a new rolling mill in Nelson Mandela Bay that enables it to turn steel billets into finished steel products, with annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes. The company says it is also investing in renewable energy to lower emissions.
When
20 October 2026
Where
Nelson Mandela Bay, Coega Special Economic Zone, Eastern Cape
Status
Reported

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