Ngqura performance outstrips expectation

On April 4 the Port of
Ngqura celebrated a full
sixth months in operation
– and with 90 vessels
handled, both volumes
and productivity have far
outstripped expectation,
TPT chief operating officer
Nosipho Damasane told
FTW last week.
The initial target was one
vessel a day – the reality
has been double that, with a
quantum leap in the number
of TEUs handled from
2 900 at the start to 19 500
in February this year.
MSC and Mitsui OSK
Line are the main callers at
present, having transferred
from Port Elizabeth
to Ngqura.
But Damasane is
adamant that there is no
cannibalisation – rather port
complementarity in action.
“We see PE primarily as
an auto port with container
handling capability.
“We have decided to cap
it at 300 000 – 400 000
TEUs. Vessels that can’t be
handled at PE will naturally
migrate to Ngqura.
“Five years ago we
decided to find room for
transhipments in Cape
Town, PE and Durban
in advance of Coega,”
she explained.
“We kept extra capacity
in Cape Town for Luanda
cargo, knowing that we
would transfer that to
Ngqura.”
In effect, business was
created in advance of the
port’s launch – and it’s
already bearing fruit.
Of the 19 500 TEUs
handled in February, 70%
were transhipments to
southern Africa, including
South Africa, Angola and
the SADC.
During its first six
months, Ngqura projected
that it would handle
50 000 containers. The
actual figure will be 53
300. For its first year of
operation 100 000 were
predicted – in reality this
figure is likely to be 286
000 and by 2014/15 the
budgeted figure is 414 726
with the actual figure likely
to be 418 800 TEUs.
At the start people were
sceptical, said Damasane.
“The first three months
were a trial period during
which they were testing
the waters.
“The quantum leap
has come in the past
three months.”
This is evident also in
the numbers of trucks
entering the port – from
1900 in October 2009 to
3284 in February 2010.
And in terms of turnaround
time, the figure is currently
around 36.2 minutes against
a target of 35.
Productivity, she says,
has and will continue to be
high on the agenda.
“In the recruitment of
staff, we upped our game
in terms of entry level of
port workers and looked at
unemployed graduates and
trained them.
“When volumes
increased in January and
February, there was a dip
in productivity which was
immediately addressed.
“In March and April we
are recruiting further staff
to increase the number of
gangs available.
“The biggest challenge
now is to fast-track
equipment so that we can
get in people, train them
and improve productivity.”
Rail too is an important
part of the mix. “We need
to enhance our rail system
to ensure that the route to
the hinterland is in place.”
By the end of February,
146 trains had already
been handled.
The statistics provided
by port management paint a
very positive picture.
A whistle-stop tour of
the port revealed a world
class facility driven by
passionate staff, determined
to make it work – all it
needs now is more shipping
lines to recognise
its potential.