Port Elizabeth eases Cape Town backlog

Influx of reefer cargoEd Richardson PORT ELIZABETH harbour has seen an increase in traffic as shippers attempt to bypass the backlog in Cape Town. SA Port Operations spokesperson for Port Elizabeth harbour, Sindie Ndwalaza, says the port handled 15 container vessels during the last week of April, compared to the normal 10 to 11 a week. Three of the 15 vessels discharged their Cape Town cargo in Port Elizabeth. The cargo is being transhipped to Cape Town on other carriers. The additional traffic plus problems in Cape Town led to further delays in Port Elizabeth, with ships being forced to wait in the roadstead. “The delays experienced in Cape Town led to vessels not maintaining their schedule integrity and hence arriving late in Port Elizabeth,” she says. The vessels were forced to wait in Cape Town because they were taking on reefer cargo. Some perishable freight has been diverted to Port Elizabeth. “We are currently experiencing an influx of reefer cargo, with the average daily occupancy level being 85% for reefers,” she said.