South Africa’s import and export vehicle volumes have increased 17% so far in the 2025/26 financial year.
TPT said on Friday that it had achieved this milestone four months before the end of the 2025/2026 financial year in March.
“The good performance is a result of improved efficiencies, the digital conversion of parking bays and an increasing number of fully built units (FBU) rolled on and off the car carriers.”
TPT said a combination of these factors could see the terminal exceed its annual target again this year.
TPT has broken six volume and productivity records across its automotive terminals in the past eight months.
In April, the East London Car Terminal recorded a loading rate of 252 units per hour against a target of 180 units per hour. In August, TPT’s automotive sector achieved the second-highest weekly productivity, handling 30 008 FBUs in a single week.
At the end of September, the Durban Car Terminal handled 67 446 FBUs more than targeted, recording a 25% increase halfway through the financial year – with loaded units per hour improving by 10% in Durban and 17% in East London. In November, the Durban Car Terminal achieved an all-time monthly record, handling 78 551 FBUs, exceeding its volume target by 83%, a performance that hints the terminal may exceed 520 000 capacity again by financial year-end.
“Beyond TPT’s efforts in growing volumes and offering an efficient service, there are many activities under way in the automotive sector, including new vehicle exports and the return of some automotive manufacturers like TATA and Geely to the South African market,” said TPT commercial and planning general manager Michelle van Buren Schele.
She added that the implementation of the South African Automotive Master Plan 2025 had contributed to the initiatives under way as it sought to grow vehicle production to 1% of global output (1.4 million vehicles), increase local content to 60% and double employment to 224 000 employees.
Transnet Port Terminals operates three car terminals in Gqeberha, East London and Durban, with a combined capacity of one million fully built units.
