Port of Cape Town Records Higher Throughput but Faces Underutilisation Despite Capacity Improvements
Throughput across multiple cargo categories at the Port of Cape Town rose during the week of August 11–17, aligning with improved operational data published by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) and Business Unity South Africa (Busa).
However, despite the improvements, the port remains underutilised relative to its available capacity, says Terry Gale, chairperson of Exporters Western Cape (EWC).
Data for the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) shows that 16 819 TEUs were handled, well above the target of 14 000 TEUs.
Gross container handling (GCH) reached 15 boxes per hour, short of the 19-box target, while ship working hours (SWH) averaged 30.7 moves per hour against a target of 40, with wind and weather disruptions cited as contributing factors.
Additional figures for the week included:
Night utilisation: 33%
Rail moves: 294
Stack occupancy: 29%
At the Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT), throughput reached 2 627 moves, significantly above the target of 835, though GCH and SWH measured 13 and 18 respectively, slightly below targets of 16 and 19. Truck gate activity fell short, with 1 244 moves recorded against a target of 1 500.
The Fresh Produce Terminal (FPT) handled five vessels – one container ship, two multi-cargo vessels, a breakbulk ship and a layby – with occupancy at 42%. Operations included:
1 262 TEUs
300.46 mt dry bulk
8 729.05 mt general breakbulk cargo
1 464 pallets of fruit
Year-to-date fruit exports rose 12%, marking one of the best citrus export seasons in years. Although front-loading ahead of a 30% tariff hike on South African exports to the US may be a factor, the EWC reports a 14% combined export increase across South African ports for the period.
On the operational side, eight of the port’s nine ship-to-shore cranes and 21 of 24 rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes were in service, with an additional nine RTGs scheduled for commissioning in the coming weeks.
“Performance is improving week-on-week,” Gale noted. “Now all we need is more cargo. The port is still underutilised, despite expanded capacity.
It can’t be proven that ships are bypassing Cape Town, but ongoing improvements should encourage more calls. It’s looking a lot better than it used to.”
