Every 100 full containers imported into Cape Town results in at least 43 empty export containers. According to Zane Simpson, a researcher from the University of Stellenbosch (US), this is on par with the rest of the ports in the country and is the estimated average for South African ports. “There are various reasons for the high requirement of empty containers but our research points to four particular imbalances,” he said. “The first is seasonality and time difference. The export of fruits is at a different time to the import of motor vehicles for example.” A second imbalance is in the direction volume difference. “We import more containers than we export. Another imbalance is the container type difference, in other words export fruit is in refrigerated containers but imports of clothing are in normal containers. Finally it is as a result of container size difference. So cars are imported in 40 foot containers, and export processed foods in 20 foot containers.” Cape Town is expected to have the slowest container growth of SA ports over the next 30 years.
