Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
Logistics
Other

Movement down as wind and bad weather continue to lash ports

27 Aug 2024 - by Eugene Goddard
Swaying ship-to-shore cranes pose too much danger when the Cape Town Container Terminal is windbound.  Source: File photo, Peter Titmuss, Getty Images
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Adverse weather along South Africa’s coastline continued to affect container movement at the country’s ports, with Table Bay – as is often the case – bearing the brunt of nature’s ferocity.

Weather warnings issued by the Port of Cape Town, which was wind-bound on the morning of August 27 and did not allow any box movement, also cautioned cargo owners and freight-forwarding agents not to expect any change to the situation until Thursday.

According to the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff), wind speeds in excess of 60 kilometres an hour were recorded at the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) on Tuesday morning.

In its latest Cargo Movement Update, compiled in conjunction with Business Unity SA, Saaff also reported “a low average” in container movement across the port spectrum.

Bad weather, for the most part, the update stated, had forced down week-on-week throughput from 7 036 containers per day to 6 747, causing a productivity decrease of about 4%.

Looking at a combined picture of port performance, Saaff/Busa reported that “operations were primarily impacted by adverse weather conditions, distressed vessels, equipment breakdowns, and vessel ranging”.

“Strong winds and vessel ranging ensured operational delays in Cape Town this week, while operations in Durban were mainly constrained by strong winds, a fire at Berth 108, and equipment breakdowns.”

As for the current situation in Cape Town, regular source and columnist for Freight News, Berry & Donaldson customs liaison officer Clifford Evans, said the wind was howling and making it very difficult for any ship-to-shore or quayside movement to take place.

“The wind may not seem that strong, but inside the terminal, it’s bad,” he said. “The wind speed tends to increase at CTCT because of the position of the terminal. The wind gets channelled around the mountain and goes down into the terminal itself.”

He said gusting was the biggest hindrance to safely working vessels at the moment.

“It dies down and then suddenly picks up while boxes are being lifted off vessels, causing cranes to sway wildly. It’s not safe at all. As a result, no ship-to-shore movement is taking place.”

Consequently, harbour carriers are also not allowed inside the port as it congests the terminal when trucks are allowed in, but no loading is taking place.

“Trucks that are already inside the terminal – they will try and get them serviced if they can. But the port won’t allow any other trucks or allocate any booking slots as traffic inside the port only builds up when no STS movement is taking place.”

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Contentious MSB clause up for discussion at EWC presentation

Logistics

Cargo owners and their agents will most likely want to make use of multimodal alternatives.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Surging prices lift food inflation to 4.4% y-o-y in May

Economy
Social Development

Headline consumer inflation remained well contained after a surprising pause at 2.8% y-o-y in May.

 

Yesterday
0 Comments

Houthi threat to Israeli-linked shipping remains high

Sea Freight

States that launch military action against the Houthis or Iran could also face danger in the region.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Airlink expands fleet to grow routes in Africa

Africa
Air Freight

Ten aircraft will be leased from Azorra, boosting capacity and cutting fuel use by 29%.

Yesterday
0 Comments

MDM imports – poultry pips pilchards to the post

Imports and Exports

Mechanically deboned meat is essential in producing affordable processed protein products.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Has Botswana lost its sparkle? (No, think copper!)

Africa
Freight & Trading Weekly
Trade/Investment

The falling market and sliding prices have already taken a toll, with GDP contracting by 3% in the last financial year.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Second round of SA-US trade talks: what lies ahead in Luanda?

Economy
Imports and Exports
Trade/Investment

For the time being, South Africa is exempt from the aluminium tariff, but for how long?

Yesterday
0 Comments

SA airports get massive infrastructure revamp

Air Freight
Infrastructure

Fuel reliability at OR Tambo International Airport will be improved with a new 20-inch jet fuel line and redundancy system.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Freight futures react as Iran-Israel conflict spirals

Logistics

Before last Friday’s surprise attack, VLCC rates were stable at about $20 000 per day.

19 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Trans-Kalahari Corridor congestion at record levels

Logistics
Road/Rail Freight

Previously, Botswana would allow consolidated cargo to be cleared as a single consignment.

19 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Meat importers welcome partial lifting of poultry ban

Imports and Exports

But say the government must accelerate the reopening of other key poultry import markets in Europe.

19 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Views differ about improved port performance

Logistics

Into June, the combined average for all terminals heralded a compliance rating of 80%.

19 Jun 2025
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Botswana 20 June 2025

Border Beat

Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
Cross-border payments remain a hurdle – Masondo
30 May 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Senior Sea/Air Import/Export Controller (Multimodal Controller) Strong on Imports

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
20 Jun

Key Account Manager

Lee Botti & Associates
Johannesburg
18 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us