Ca rgo-handling facilities at all South African ports are sold off to private firms to operate. The privatisation of Transnet Port Terminals must be done in such a way that each port competes with all the other Southern African ports for shipping line business. Under the apartheid regime, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg City Deep simultaneously converted to containerisation at noon on the same day 47 years ago. That orgy of centralised planning no longer works. Only the private sector can bring in the capital and skills needed to make these once again world-class ports. If we are to win traffic from deep into Africa then our ports need to be super-efficient. In the meantime, the Minerals Council, using Transnet’s own targeted tonnages, estimates a loss of R35 billion in 2021 in opportunity costs – because of rail and port constraints. The long lease payments the private harbour operators pay Transnet can be used to revitalise the freight rail system.
BIO Dave Marsh - Dave is the past editor of Freight & Trading Weekly. He joined the company 50 years ago in time to see the first edition roll off the press of what has become Freight News. He is now non-executive chairman of Travel & Trade Promotion Organisation, the company that has been publishing the specialist publication since 1973
