Zak, the rail products subsidiary of Clyde Industrial Corporation (Pty) Ltd, (Clyde), has debuted its first 48 kg 1:12 Secant turnout, featuring a fully flexible switch blade made from 51 kg rail and a cast manganese rail bound frog, assembled on concrete sleepers with cast-in shoulders. Suitable for 22-tonne axle loads, the turnout is fully compatible with Cape gauge infrastructure across Southern Africa, particularly the N1 and N2 freight and passenger corridors within South Africa’s mainline network and private networks.
“This is not a prototype—Zak has already secured multiple orders and one unit designated for live track testing with Transnet. Designed by veteran turnout specialist and Zak Engineering Technician, Pieter Swart, and built at Zak’s Springs facility, the product has been developed to match SADC regional standards and is compatible with Cape gauge rail infrastructure,” says Kim Wilson, Managing Director of Clyde Industrial Corporation.
The debut product reflects a strategic move into surface rail applications, building on Zak’s proven track record of supplying turnouts to the mining industry. “This product fits well into sidings, surface track, and general freight lines,” explained Jan Grobbelaar, who leads Zak’s commercial efforts. “Our system is compatible with the current system used in the SADC region. It’s interchangeable, certified, and fits Cape gauge.”
The journey to this point has been both technical and transformative. Zak’s 1:12 turnout was designed over three years by Pieter Swart, drawing on more than four decades of turnout engineering experience. “This product is better than the product we did 20 years ago,” Swart said. He explained that improvements include upgraded rods that move the blade up and down, larger bolts at critical stress points, and the inclusion of Hytrel pads to reduce vibration and prolong fastening life.
“This model is built with a four-hole heel block and thick bolts. That’s to make sure it takes up longitudinal forces,” Swart noted. “The turnout is the weakest link in your open track, and we need to compensate to avoid kick-outs and derailments.” The unit features semi-curved, nine-metre blades that are designed to operate both mechanically or via a central signalling centre. The frog, made of hardened 13%-14% chrome manganese, is bolted in place using 30 mm bolts to withstand high lateral forces. The system is designed for a lifespan of 25 years with a tonnage range of up to 15 million tons per year.
Ease of installation has been engineered into every aspect of the product. “You don’t need skilled labour to assemble this on site. You don’t even need a measuring tape, everything is already marked,” Swart said. Each turnout is pre-assembled in factory conditions, marked for sleeper position, disassembled and shipped in kits ready for reassembly on site. “It fits like a puzzle,” he added.
The manufacturing journey is just as significant as the product itself. Off the back of a significant tender for a neighbouring African country, the search began for the supply of rails. Traditionally, the team from Clyde and Zak would have leaned on their long-standing supplier relationship with ArcelorMittal, which had acquired the former Highveld Steel operations and rebranded under AMRAS. The AMRAS mill could roll 48 kg R260-grade rail in 18-metre lengths, short of the 36-metre requirement set out in the tender specification.
While a compliant bid was essential, the challenge deepened when the team confronted limitations in the supply chain for turnout components. The tender specified a switch blade constructed from 51 kg rail—an uncommon profile with limited global supply. Only one international mill could meet the specification, but, being a potential bidder, they were unable to supply third parties. “With nothing else left, we all jumped on a plane and went to China,” said Wilson.
The team located a Chinese mill capable of rolling 48 kg rail in R260 grade and the required 36-metre lengths. For the turnout’s critical 51 kg rail component, the team again sourced another Chinese mill, though the available profile was in R350LHT grade. While this met technical specifications, the limited demand for 51 kg rail made minimum order quantities prohibitively high. “We placed a 1,000-ton order,” Wilson said. “It’s the minimum quantity they were prepared to roll. That should last us ten years.”
Zak transformed a previously underutilised yard into a purpose-built turnout facility. “We’ve thrown a slab, built our crane, and this is really where we’re doing the assembly,” explained Wilson. Concrete sleepers are sourced locally from Colossal, and despite critical components like rails being imported, all machining, bending, and fitting is conducted in-house. “My passion is really to bring down-stream manufacturing back into the country in the steel sector. We’ve lost so much.”
Historically, prior to consolidation, two entities within the group—Zak Steel, which handled new rail and track material, and Railcor, which specialised in recovering, refurbishing, and reselling second-hand track material—operated under the Clyde umbrella.
As the availability of second-hand materials diminished, particularly after Transnet’s moratorium on second-hand rail sales, Clyde restructured its operations, consolidating the two brands under Zak and shifting focus to full-scale manufacturing. The company already had experience in supplying rails and manufacturing fasteners, but the move into new turnout production represented a significant step-change.
Looking ahead, Zak is focused on expanding its footprint across Southern Africa while continuing to promote its latest turnout designs. “We will start marketing our new designs, which is the 1:9 and 1:12 secant turnout sets,” said Jan Grobbelaar. “There’s significant scope for these sets, and we also aim to move towards larger rail sizes and higher-capacity turnouts.” Zak is actively exploring opportunities in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia, alongside its established presence in South Africa.
“We are looking forward to engaging with rail operators at the upcoming SARA Conference and Exhibition,” he added, reaffirming Zak’s commitment to regional collaboration and industry growth.
The launch comes with confirmed orders already placed and additional interest anticipated from both private and public sector operators. With increasing demand for turnout sets that can be efficiently assembled and installed on site, Zak’s entry into this market offers a welcome second local alternative, backed by in-country manufacturing capacity and decades of sector experience.
“We see our rail network as arteries to our economy. And if your arteries are blocked, your economy will not work. We have to get the arteries unblocked and working,” concludes Wilson.
With the debut of its 1:12 turnout and a clear strategy for regional growth, Zak is positioning itself as part of the long-term solution to revitalising rail infrastructure from the ground up with locally driven engineering, manufacturing, and commitment to delivering on Africa’s rail reform.
For more information, contact:
Email: info@zak.co.za
Website: www.zak.co.za
