South African Ports in 2025

What Changed In The Last 12 Months

Throughput and performance are rising

Transnet National Ports Authority data shows container volumes building through Q2 and Q3 2025 as operational recovery takes hold. Transnet Port Terminals reports weekly container handling consistently above 90,000 TEU since June, citing improved crane availability and staffing stability. That is not mission accomplished, but it is tangible progress relative to 2024.

Fresh kit on the quays

In September 2025, Transnet signed a long-horizon partnership with Liebherr covering supply and lifecycle management of ship-to-shore and yard cranes. Four new STS cranes for Durban and 48 RTGs across Durban and Cape Town are already in the pipeline. Cape Town also received the first batch of new RTGs with anti-sway technology, with early improvements reported on box-handling stability.

Recovery plan funded

The African Development Bank’s $1 billion, 25-year loan is underwriting key pieces of Transnet’s recovery plan: addressing maintenance backlogs, equipment procurement, and operating reforms that split rail infrastructure from operations and open access to private players. This financing does not fix everything, but it de-risks the execution of the plan.

Reality Check: Variability Still Bites

Waiting times are shorter, but not predictable

Industry advisories in September and October show Durban vessel waits typically 1 to 8 days, Cape Town up to about 3 days in fair weather (longer in winter winds), and Eastern Cape ports often 0 to 2 days. Improvements are real; volatility remains. Coastal storms and Bayhead Road rehabilitation in Durban continue to cause episodic slowdowns.

Yard and berth dynamics matter

Benchmarking in May flagged Durban with one of the continent’s longest average berth stays (around 3.8 days). Even when ships arrive on time, yard flows and equipment cycles determine whether you make your rail slot or burn days in terminal. Treat the yard as a potential critical path.

Weather is a structural factor

Western Cape winter winds and heavy swell can pause operations, while KZN weather systems periodically disrupt Durban. Equipment investments help, but metocean risk will not disappear. Build it into your plan.

The BG Corp Playbook: How To Manage (Not Fear) SA Ports

1) Route to strength, not habit

• Durban: Prioritise Pier 2 services with better historical productivity; use Pier 1 when berth windows align.

• Cape Town: Exploit RTG upgrades during shoulder seasons; avoid wind-exposed windows for perishable peaks.

• Eastern Cape (Ngqura/Port Elizabeth): Use as relief valves for non-perishables when Durban or Cape Town bunch.

• Richards Bay: Consider for project and containerised overflow as container capacity expands via private operators.

Back this with weekly advisories and TEU/berth stats rather than one-off anecdotes.

2) Buy predictability in your contracts

• Negotiate berth-window service levels and roll priority.

• Add weather and congestion buffers to free-time (and align with rail/truck slots).

• Include index-linked re-openers if performance deviates materially (for example, berth stay above X days).

3) Decouple the last mile

• Pre-clear customs and use single-window digital channels where available.

• Pre-book rail paths and trucking, and align hand-off times to realistic terminal cycles.

• For reefers and high-value cargo, stage at nearby depots to avoid terminal dwell during weather holds.

4) Hedge with inland and coastal buffers

• Use Johannesburg/Gauteng ICDs as shock absorbers; move boxes inland quickly, then de-stuff on your timetable.

• Consider coastal transhipment (for example, Ngqura) to balance berth windows when direct calls are bunched.

5) Exploit new equipment windows

As new STS and RTG units commission, terminals often run enhanced crews and performance trials. We leverage these ramps to push through backlogs and time critical purchase orders, particularly before promotional seasons.

6) Build weather into the gantt

For Cape Town, define a winter wind protocol (go/no-go criteria, alternative stack plans). For Durban, set storm triggers for port swaps or transhipment via the Eastern Cape. Link these triggers to automatic booking moves in your TMS.

7) Use risk-weighted port choice for tenders

When you tender a lane, price multiple routings: Durban-centric, Cape-centric, and an Eastern Cape option. Compare landed cost and probability-weighted lead time. Often a slightly higher base rate through a steadier gateway beats a cheap route that slips.

What Good Looks Like (KPIs We Track)

• Vessel waiting time (hours) and berth stay (hours/days) by terminal

• Gross crane moves per hour and net productivity during your window

• Truck and rail turn-around times versus scheduled hand-offs

• Dwell (terminal plus inland depot) measured against free-time and stock-out risk

• Rollover rate on your bookings by line or alliance

We publish a blended score each week to decide whether to advance bookings, switch terminals, or reroute.

Case Notes From 2025

• Durban, July to September: With targeted dredging and maintenance, Pier 2 lifted weekly throughput; waits shortened but spiked during Bayhead roadworks and squalls. Clients who pre-cleared and staged rail benefited most.

• Cape Town, September: New RTGs improved stability and stacking options; wind still forced intermittent pauses. Clients shifting reefer call windows into shoulder days saw fewer holds.

• Eastern Cape: Shorter typical delays made Ngqura and Port Elizabeth effective relief ports for dry cargo when Durban bunched.

The BG Corp Take

South African ports are not the immovable bottleneck they were in 2024. They are volatile systems with improving fundamentals. That is a big difference. With the right route selection, contractual design, inland buffers, and weather protocols, you can convert port risk into a managed variable, often at a lower total cost than long detours or chronic airfreight. In 2025 and 2026, smart operators will not avoid South African ports; they will out-manage them.

References

• Transnet National Ports Authority: monthly port statistics, 2025.

• Sunday Times (TimesLIVE): “Transnet Port Terminals turns the corner…” (Oct 6, 2025).

• Reuters: Transnet-Liebherr equipment partnership and orders (Sep 18, 2025).

• Western Cape Government: first batch of new RTGs at CTCT (Sep 17, 2025).

• SCT Solutions: South Africa port waiting times snapshot (Oct 1, 2025).

• Turners Shipping: SA port waiting times and outlook (Aug 25, 2025).

• EWC Logistics News Update: weekly operational notes including Durban rail and weather impacts (Sep 23 and Sep 30, 2025).

• PortTechnology.org: global dwell and berth stay benchmarking (Jun 16, 2025).

• Reuters: Transnet weather suspensions, Western and KZN coasts (Jul 9, 2024).

• Reuters: AfDB $1 billion loan to Transnet (Jul 18, 2024).

• Reuters: Richards Bay container expansion via Grindrod (Jun 20, 2024).