Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) was the only port in southern Africa that rose in the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) from 2020 to 2021, increasing 36 places from 348 to 312.
The CPPI measured 370 ports and found that 149 improved their ranking, with some increasing by over 200 places, while 182 decreased.
Beira remained the top-ranking port in the region, though it dropped two places to 270.
Dar es Salaam had the biggest drop – at 37, while the worst-performing ports were Ngqura, Durban, Cape Town and Luanda (363-366).
The CPPI is intended to show the impact of efficient ports on economic growth.
Poor performance can raise the cost of imports/exports and inhibit growth, especially for landlocked countries.
Vessels calling African ports mainly range from 1 500-5 000 TEUs, but some are up to 8 500 TEUs.
The top-ranked ports in CPPI 2021 were King Abdullah Port (Saudi Arabia) and Port of Salalah (Oman).
* Read the full article on page 5 of our current edition of Freight Features: https://tinyurl.com/ytxuk4rf
