This week, bad weather, equipment failures, and shortages affected port operations at all major commercial ports. This week, severe winds and heavy rain led the Port of Cape Town to lose over 70 operating hours. In the Eastern Cape, strong winds and vessel ranging also resulted in significant delays. Strong winds also contributed to operational delays in Durban, along with ongoing equipment shortages and breakdowns. According to reports this week, a staging facility at Richards Bay is expected to be operational by the end of the month in an effort to alleviate the port’s truck congestion. Furthermore, this week saw very few reports from TFR; yet, cable theft continues to be a persistent problem on the rail network even though no significant occurrences were reported on the ConCor.
Key Notes:
- An average of ~6 199 containers was handled per day, with ~8 448 containers projected for next week.
- Rail cargo handled out of Durban was reported at 2 732 containers, down ↓7% from last week.
- Cross-border queue: ↓0,8; transit: ↑0,4 hrs; SA borders: 11,0 hrs (↑17%); SADC borders: 4,4 hrs (↑16%).
- Global e-commerce sales have grown by ↑60% since 2016, reaching $27 trillion in 2022.
- Freight rates stabilised this week and only increased by ↑0,6% (up by $33), trading at $5 901/40ft.
- Global air cargo (CTKs) saw a ↑14,7% expansion (y/y) in May, as CTKs grew by ↑3,1% versus April.
Port operations – General:
- Port operations at all major commercial ports were disrupted by severe weather conditions, equipment breakdowns and shortages this week.
- The Port of Cape Town lost more than 70 operational hours this week due to strong winds and heavy rain, while strong winds and vessel ranging also caused extensive delays in the Eastern Cape.
- Equipment breakdowns and shortages persisted in Durban, while strong winds also caused operational delays.
- Reports this week suggested that a staging area will be commissioned in Richards Bay by the end of the month to ease the truck congestion experienced at the port.
- Additionally, minimal reports were received from TFR this week; however, despite no major incidents being reported on the ConCor, cable theft remains a continuous occurrence on the rail network
Read more:
Cargo Movement Report – Full Report
Cargo Movement Report – Summary Report