Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has reported record handling volumes as part of its ongoing turnaround plan to improve port efficiency across South Africa. The state-owned logistics operator said it handled 100,158 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 27,879 fully built automotive units (FBUs) in a single week, marking one of its strongest operational performances in recent years.
During the same period, Ngqura Container Terminal exceeded its daily targets by 60%, managing 2,760 container moves in a single day. TPT CEO Jabu Mdaki said these results reflect progress in the company's operational recovery strategy for the 2025/2026 financial year, which ends in March 2026.
"TPT has broken 14 performance records in the last six months across loading rates; daily, weekly, and annual container and automotive volumes; as well as train turnaround times," Mdaki said. "Some of the milestones were last seen 10 years ago, including exceeding the 100,000 TEU mark in a single week – which TPT has already achieved three times in the current financial year."
He added that performance in key commodities, including magnetite and containers, has improved as part of the recovery plan. Equipment upgrades have been central to this progress, including nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes each for Durban Pier 1 and Cape Town terminals, 20 straddle carriers for Durban Pier 2, one ship-to-shore crane for Port Elizabeth, and over 200 haulers and trailers distributed to terminals nationwide. "Focused maintenance has resulted in reduced breakdowns and increased uptime of equipment," he said.
Maritime law expert Malcolm Hartwell, director at Norton Rose Fulbright, said the latest achievements mark a turning point for Transnet following years of operational decline. He credited the leadership of Michelle Phillips, appointed CEO in March 2024, with improving engagement between the public and private sectors. "Phillips enjoys the support of the private sector and is attributed with much of the success Transnet has experienced in the last year," he said.
Hartwell added that Transnet's separation of rail infrastructure management has allowed private operators to use national rail lines in competition with Transnet Freight Rail, reducing reliance on road transport. The operator has also accelerated the licensing of private terminals at Durban, Richards Bay, and other ports.
Economist Ulrich Joubert said the current focus on port throughput and rail efficiency is essential for restoring operational stability. "They know that they can only turn around this organisation if they really get going, get doing business again. They have to transport things. They have to move the containers through the harbours and the bulk," he said.
Source: IOL
