News / 'More efficient' South African ports enjoy volume boost

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South African port throughput volumes are on a ‘tenuous’ trajectory of growth, being delivered largely through structural improvements, rather than as a product of Cape of Good Hope liner re-routings.  

According to today’s report from the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), volumes across the country’s container terminals amounted to a daily average of 8,699 teu last week, up from 7,565 teu the week prior. 

“Port operations, though still challenged by weather conditions in some instances, showed a strong recovery, with vessel delays reducing and waterside operations increasing.  

“Equipment availability remained steady throughout the week, with most terminals reporting a near full complement of cranes and a strong support of landside equipment,” says the report.  

While it could be assumed that most South African ports would have benefited from a transhipment boost due to vessels taking a longer journey round the Cape in the wake of the Red Sea crisis, SAAFF’s head of research and development, Jacob van Rensburg, told The Loadstar that this might not be the case. 

“The de-facto Suez Canal closure and subsequent Cape diversions are a curious case for South Africa”, he said. “SA ports have seen transhipment go from a high of 23% some eight years ago to a low of 13% last year.” 

Dr van Rensburg did acknowledge that ports in South Africa had seen some increase in transhipment cargo partly because of detour traffic, but he added that, “more importantly”, it could be attributed to “an improvement in container handling efficiency”, boosted by new equipment, better collaboration between Transnet, shipping lines, agents, etc, and some digital integration of processes.  

“I would say that this has had a slightly more significant impact than CGH routings, however, it has not been insignificant,” he stated.  

Indeed, according to data from SAAFF, some regional ports, notably Port Louis (Mauritius) and, to a “lesser extent”,  Victoria and Walvis Bay, have seen “notable increases” in transhipment cargo as a result of Cape routings. 

Dr van Rensburg explained: “This reality also speaks to the fact that SA, as a whole, has lost some 9% in global port connectivity, according to the UNCTAD Liner Shipping Connectivity, in the last five years (Q3 20 vs Q3 25). So, for SA, it is multifaceted.” 

This does mean, however, that South African ports won’t be hit by a substantial or drastic loss of throughout when the Cape is no longer used as an alternative to the Suez Canal.