Creecy Hails Transnet Port Terminals for Record Container Volumes

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has praised Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) for a marked improvement in performance, saying the turnaround offers hope for the recovery of lost transshipment volumes and future job creation in South Africa’s maritime sector.

Since June 2025, TPT has consistently averaged over 90 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per week, a sharp rise from 65 000 TEUs per week in the same period last year. By the end of August, container volumes were up 7.2% year-on-year.

A milestone was achieved in the week ending 20 July when 101 295 TEUs were handled across all container terminals – the second-highest weekly performance in the entity’s history. The record remains 105 650 TEUs, achieved in the 2014/15 financial year.

“This improved performance gives us hope that transshipment volumes we lost during the 2023/24 year will return in due course to our ports, ensuring both job retention and future job creation for our maritime economy,” Creecy said.

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Read: Ngqura Named Best Performing Container Terminal in SA After Record-Breaking Month

The gains are attributed to four main initiatives:

New equipment: including nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes for Durban Pier 1, 20 straddle carriers for Durban Pier 2, a ship-to-shore crane for Port Elizabeth, and more than 200 haulers and trailers across all container terminals.

Focused maintenance: reducing breakdowns and boosting equipment uptime.

Process improvements: introducing a container performance dashboard to monitor real-time operations.

People management: a fourth shift to ease fatigue and a new incentive scheme to drive productivity.

TPT Chief Executive Jabu Mdaki credited “unprecedented collaboration” between labour partners, shipping lines, cargo owners, and logistics stakeholders for the progress. “The synergy across these groups has enabled a seamless flow of operations, with vessels now berthing on arrival across all terminals – a significant achievement considering the backlog challenges faced in 2023,” he said.

The Department of Transport said the performance turnaround marked a critical step toward restoring efficiency and competitiveness at South Africa’s ports.