All of South Africa’s ports are operating well below their design capacity.
Transnet’s latest statistics show that Durban, after enjoying higher volumes in May and June compared to the same months in 2019, is now below the pre-Covid throughput.
South Africa’s other container ports have been consistently below pre-Covid levels, with a small spike in Cape Town in May, and a large one in Ngqura in July.
All ports are performing well below their capacity.
Durban averaged 223 763 TEUs a month between May and August 2021, against a design capacity of 300 000 a month.
This is a capacity utilisation of 75%.
Ngqura, the next-busiest port, averaged 73 439 a month against a design capacity of 166 000 (44% of capacity).
In July it handled 137 791 TEUs, which shows that the capacity is still available.
Cape Town averaged 67 750, with a design capacity of around 116 000 (58% of capacity).
The best month was May, with 77 757 containers.
Port Elizabeth, with a capacity of 31 250 TEUs a month, handled 13 888 (44% of capacity).
East London handled 2 737 on average, compared with a capacity of 7 500 (37% of capacity).
