Containers now stuck outside three SA ports

In recent weeks, container ships have been bypassing the congested and delay-ridden Cape Town harbour to berth at the Port of Port Elizabeth in Gqeberha and the Ngqura (Coega) port, reports the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).But the influx of vessels has created massive congestion off the Eastern Cape coast, with some 46 000 containers stuck outside the two ports.Meanwhile, 79 vessels and 61 968 containers remain stuck outside the Durban port as of Friday last week. This is according to the latest data from the SAAFF. Durban and Port Elizabeth are now among the top seven most congested ports in the world, according to global shipping data site Linerlytica.Vessels have been waiting 215 hours (nearly nine days) and 32 hours to enter Port Nqura and the Port Elizabeth port, respectively. Meanwhile, vessels are waiting 227 hours to enter the Durban port, the SAAFF reports.BacklogThe backlog at the Cape Town port, however, has been cleared, says Transnet.South African ports have been marred by congestion and delays due to equipment failures, a lack of maintenance on port infrastructure, and adverse weather. An estimated R7 billion worth of goods currently cannot berth into ports. The congestion at the Eastern Cape harbours has raised alarm, as half of the country's automotive manufacturing output is situated in the province, which also has large pharmaceutical and other manufacturing companies."Vessels are arriving 30 days late. This threatens the viability of manufacturing businesses already dealing with load shedding. We are at the mercy of ports and the rail system," said chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Denise van Huyssteen.The chamber, which represents more than 700 businesses within the area, is particularly concerned about Port of Port Elizabeth's port booking system, adding that previous interventions by Transnet have led to greater inefficiencies at the port. –Fin24

Containers now stuck outside three SA ports

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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Containers now stuck outside three SA ports

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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