(Reuters) - South Africa's Grindrod reported a mid-year loss on Thursday as the freight and shipping company grappled with slumping dry bulk rates. Africa's biggest shipping group reported a headline loss per share of 50.8 cents for the six months to June 30 versus a profit of 43.6 cents a year earlier. Headline earnings per share, the main profit gauge in South Africa, strips out certain one-off items. The global shipping and freight industry is struggling through its longest downturn in three decades. Grindrod said low global growth and declining dry bulk shipping rates continued to put pressure on the market. The "recovery of the market continues to be weak despite increased Chinese iron ore imports and higher coal prices," the company said. ($1 = 14.1222 rand) (Reporting by Zimasa Mpemnyama; editing by Jason Neely)