On average, 10 585 TEUs were handled daily at our container terminals, which is a minor drop from the previous week’s 11 547 TEUs. It is anticipated that an additional average of around 11,381 TEUs (↑8%) will be handled over the next week. Port operations were mostly characterized by unfavorable weather, empty berths, dredging, and equipment malfunctions. Negative weather conditions hampered Cape Town’s operations at the end of the week, and Durban’s operations were also affected by equipment failures, shortages, and dredging activities. With 106 000 FEUs predicted for the 2025 season, up ↑10% from 2024 and comparable to 2023, citrus exports have already started via Durban. While there were only minor delays at the Port of Richards Bay, strong winds and empty berths guaranteed operational delays at our Eastern Cape ports. According to recent sources, in order to stay on schedule and guarantee a prompt arrival at Jebel Ali, the Maersk Colombo 511E will bypass the port of Cape Town and head straight to Coega. In addition, the rail network encountered sporadic power outages during the weekend, which caused six to twelve-hour operational delays.
Key Notes:
- An average of ~10 585 TEUs was handled per day, with ~11 381 TEUs projected for next week.
- Rail cargo handled out of Durban was reported at 2 442 containers, down by ↓14% from last week.
- Truck volumes through Lebombo decreased to 1 466 HGVs/day (↓1%), with average crossing times 2,5 hrs.
- Cross-border queue: ↓0,5 hrs; transit: ↓0,3 hrs; SA borders: 10,4 hrs (↓6%); SADC: 5,0 hrs (↓4%).
- The world’s 30 largest container ports collectively recorded a robust ↑7% (y/y) increase in throughput.
Port operations – General:
- At our container terminals, an average of 10 585 TEUs was handled per day, representing a slight decrease from 11 547 TEUs the previous week.
- For the coming week, an increased average of ~11 381 TEUs (↑8%) is predicted to be handled.
- Adverse weather, vacant berths, dredging, and equipment breakdowns mainly characterised port operations.
- Towards the end of the week, adverse weather conditions disrupted operational performance in Cape Town, while equipment breakdowns, shortages, and dredging operations also impacted operations in Durban.
- Citrus exports have commenced early via Durban, with the 2025 season forecast at 106 000 FEUs — up ↑10% from 2024 and comparable to 2023.
- Strong winds and vacant berths ensured operational delays at our Eastern Cape Ports, while minimal delays were reported at the Port of Richards Bay.
- The latest reports indicate that the Maersk Colombo 511E will skip the port of Cape Town and proceed directly to Coega to maintain its schedule and ensure a timely arrival in Jebel Ali.
- Furthermore, over the weekend, the rail network experienced intermittent power failures, resulting in operational delays of 6-12 hours.
Read more:
Cargo Movement Report – Full Report
Cargo Movement Report – Summary Report