Every month since July, South Africa’s ports have notched up a milestone, confirming the widely held belief among stakeholders from both the public and private sectors of the freight industry that Transnet has indeed turned the corner, although much work remains.
In July, it was reported that the state-owned port and rail utility had handled 101 295 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in one week.
Not only was it 15% above the weekly target, but it also laid down a new TEU throughput marker for the once-struggling parastatal.
Then, in August, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) moved a record 18 689 TEUs in a single day, the highest daily volume recorded since the pandemic.
Now, September’s most recent roundup data compiled by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) and Business Unity SA shows that TPT has set the container moves bar even higher, recording throughput figures of 103 086 for the week ending on the 7th.
Adding context to the weekly Container Movement Update, which has confirmed consistent improvement at South Africa’s ports, Saaff’s head of Research and Development, Dr Jacob van Rensburg, says: “Throughput has continued to set new performance records in recent weeks.”
He adds that in July “volumes were up by a significant 30% year-on-year”.
This is despite persistent challenges at the state-owned entity (SOE) – adverse weather, equipment breakdowns and congestion.
Improved performance at the SOE couldn’t have come at a better time for the country, considering altered trade lanes around the Cape of Good Hope because of risk in the Red Sea.
Because the Suez Canal’s EU-Asia clients are mostly rerouting round the Cape to avoid possible attack by Yemen’s Gaza-sympathising Houthi rebels, there has been a significant maritime shift, and South Africa’s geostrategic location is very much part of this.
Van Rensburg’s container system terminal data shows that the has clawed back lost ground in sub-Saharan trade volumes, and that global volatility underlines the need for South Africa to keep focus on domestic issues.
“The international trading environment remains highly uncertain, with US tariff disputes and shifting shipping geopolitical alliances and trade routes among a plethora of external operational risks. Unpredictable, unavoidable volatility reinforces the imperative of strengthening SA’s logistics network and getting our own house in order.”
On the airfreight side of things, local cargo competency has continued to track north of expectations, usually muted because of persistent poor performance issues in the recent past.
This is especially the case at OR Tambo International Airport, Van Rensburg points out.
“Air cargo has been a consistent bright spot, with volumes at OR Tambo trending above last year’s levels and even surpassing pre-pandemic benchmarks, underscoring a sustained rebound in this critical sector, reflecting market trends and robust demand patterns.”
He adds that resilience at the airport “is especially notable given the uncertainty surrounding Foreign Operating Permits, which continue to weigh on the industry”.
Unfortunately, there is some turbulence in the shape of Airports Company SA (Acsa).
Operationally, frustration is mounting because of unresolved issues with Acsa, Van Rensburg says.
These include warehouse leases, the cargo precinct upgrade, and the long-awaited midfield terminal which remain unaddressed.
He says these issues are “impacting negatively on commerce and industry, leaving stakeholders feeling overlooked and ultimately restricting economic growth”.
