Coega on track for September start

The development of the deepsea container port at Coega in the Eastern Cape close to Port Elizabeth is on track, with the early deliveries of port equipment still flowing in, according to Andrew Thomas, CEO of Ocean Africa Container Lines (OACL) and chairman of the SA Association of Ship Operators and Agents (Saasoa). The port still has a deadline to start commercial operations in September this year. With SA gaining a reputation for port congestion, this extra capacity provided by the new harbour will be welcome, according to Thomas, although questions still remain as to how well the port will be connected to SA’s main cargo source and destination in the industrial heartland of Gauteng, and what landside industrial developments to support the harbour will still transpire. But the major query still remains: How will Coega fit into the SA shipping scheme of things? Members of the industry still have their minds fixed on how they will utilise the new port. Added Thomas: “In terms of how we integrate that capacity into the SA shipping port network – that’s the big question.” And current conditions mean that it’s not an answer that will come up overnight. “Given the global economic climate,” Thomas told FTW, “we’re not sure what will happen in the SA port network this year.”