Transnet’s strategy of marketing Ngqura as the transhipment hub for southern Africa is starting to bear fruit. Siya Mhlaluka, Transnet Port Terminals’ divisional executive manager for the container sector, says the Ngqura container terminal has had a “busy start” to 2010 with transhipment cargoes from the Far East, South America and the rest of Africa arriving at the facility for the first time. This brought total vessel calls up to 43 and total cargo volumes up to 35 403 TEUs since the terminal’s operational launch in October 2009. January alone saw 18 ships arrive at the terminal, compared to an average of seven over the months October to December. “We have also been ramping up productivity since launching in October. The average GCH (gross crane hour, or the number of containers moved per crane per hour) at the terminal is currently 22, with December performance peaking at 26. “This makes Ngqura container terminal one of our best performing in terms of crane operations,” he says.
