On 7 July, the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg hosted the 26th edition of Africa Rail, becoming the hub for discussions on the future of rail transport in Africa. The Polish National Pavilion, organised by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), showcases the potential of Polish railway companies at Africa Rail 2026, presenting solutions that respond to the needs of Africa’s growing transport markets.

Representatives of Polish industry at the Polish National Pavilion

The Polish companies present at the national pavilion during Africa Rail 2026 are showcasing solutions that address the specific needs of Africa’s developing markets. Tabor Dębica stands out in particular. The company is expanding its operations on the African continent and is involved in the construction of a locomotive and freight wagon factory in Egypt – an important step in the growth of the Polish rolling stock industry in North Africa and the Middle East.

ASCO Rail also brings experience from the African market. Its advanced diagnostic and measurement equipment is already in use in South Africa.

In turn, EC Engineering brings expertise in rail vehicle design and the manufacture of key components such as pantographs. This allows the company to support both the modernisation of existing rolling stock and the delivery of new vehicles.

STER supports rolling stock and infrastructure maintenance under demanding operating conditions by offering passenger seats that meet high standards of comfort and safety. The offer is complemented by the cutting tools manufacturer FENES, whose cutting tools and band saws are used in maintenance workshops.

Polish technology proving itself in Africa

One of the key examples of Poland’s presence on the African market is PESA Bydgoszcz, which entered the African railway market through a contract for the Ghanaian market. The framework agreement, signed at the InnoTrans trade fair in 2022, covered the delivery of two diesel multiple units, with an option for a further ten vehicles.

The vehicles for Ghana are two-car diesel multiple units from the Regio 160 family. They reach speeds of up to 120 km/h and can carry up to 220 passengers. The first unit was delivered to the port of Tema in April 2024. The trains, which comply with the Stage V emission standard, are intended to operate on the approximately 97 km standard-gauge Tema–Mpakadan line. This line is the first stage of a planned rail link of around 1,000 km to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The launch of commercial services in 2025 demonstrates that Polish solutions can be deployed in the real conditions of African infrastructure.

B2B meetings and market interest

Representatives of PAIH and the companies present at the pavilion are holding B2B meetings with delegations from, among others, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The talks cover potential product deliveries, infrastructure modernisation, signalling and traffic control solutions, as well as projects delivered under public-private partnership schemes.

Visitors pay particular attention to the experience of Polish companies in modernising existing railway networks and to the possibility of adapting European technical standards to local investment, operational and technical conditions. For many African markets, the flexibility of the offer and the competitive pricing of the proposed solutions are also of key importance.

Exhibitors at the Polish National Pavilion:

• EC ENGINEERING sp. Z o.o. - https://ec-e.pl/
• Fabryka Narzędzi Skrawających FENES S.A. https://fenes.eu/en/
• STER sp. z o.o. https://ster.com.pl/
• TABOR DĘBICA sp. z o.o. https://www.tabor-debica.pl/
• ASCO RAIL sp. z o.o. https://ascorail.pl/
• MARTECH GROUP https://grupamartech.eu/
• Torhamer sp. z o.o. https://torhamer.pl/