PE and Ngqura will work jointly to serve shippers’ needs

ED RICHARDSON
THE PORT of Port Elizabeth and the newly-developed port of Ngqura aim to take shipping transport to new levels. Port Operations chief Siya Mhalaluka says that the “activities in the existing port will be integrated with Ngqura”, which will enable the South African port operations clients to receive “the best service in the region”.
Mhalaluka says that there are a number of programmes in place to ensure that specialised container handling and other transport activities at the port of Port Elizabeth will be more efficient. During the past financial year, the port handled over 20 containers an hour, which was a massive improvement from 12 containers an hour during the previous year. New equipment has been purchased in an effort to keep pace with the growth in the industry. Also, the increased dependency on straddle carriers has led to the purchase of 11 additional units that are expected by the end of the year. These straddle carriers will be kept operational by ongoing maintenance programmes. More investment is also underway to help Eastern Cape farmers receive more efficient and cost-effective accessibility to international markets.
The port of Port Elizabeth will also focus on vehicle shipping. This will include General Motors’ plans to export the Port Elizabeth manufactured Humvee vehicles to the rest of the world. However, Mhalaluka says that they are also looking at ways to provide more than just vehicle shipping. These include waxing, dewaxing, the fitting of car radios and other accessories, and minor body work – similar to the services offered at other successful international ports such as Jacksonville and Bremerhaven, he says. Fruit and fishing handling are also expected to remain at the Port Elizabeth port.
The port of Ngqura will handle the movement of large shipments of containers and bulk products. The manganese ore handling terminal and tank farm will also be moved there at a later stage.