South Africa Transnet Port Terminals
Transnet port terminals supports the South African government’s export-led growth strategy
Transnet port terminals was established in 2000, when Transnet’s then single port division, Portnet, was divided into operations and landlord businesses namely, SAPO (Transnet port terminals) and National Port Authority (TNPA). Since its inception, Transnet port terminals has played a key role in supporting the South African government’s export-led growth strategy. Most Southern African import and export commodities are handled through South Africa’s seven logistics ports, Richards Bay, Durban, Saldanha, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and Port of Ngqura. Port Terminals handles container sector, mineral bulk, agricultural bulk & Roro sectors.
Port Terminal’s major customers represent a broad spectrum of the economy and include the shipping industry, vehicle manufacturers, agriculture, timber and forest products, the mining industry and exporters of minerals, metals and granite.
Container Sector
TPT operates container terminals at Durban, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. TPT has invested billions in upgrading this sector. In 2007 the redeveloped Durban Container Terminal Pier1 facility – South Africa’s first rubber tyred gantry operation was launched. Next in line was the launch of Ngqura Container Terminal, the state of the art transhipment hub, servicing traffic from the East, South America and West African markets.
All these container terminals utilise NAVIS system which provides integrated real time shipping information.
These terminals are supported by a call centre which provides single point of contact and consolidated information to facilitate communication and customer service.
CALL CENTRE: +27 86 120 4485
Location |
Annual capacity |
| Durban (Pier 1) |
0.7m TEUs |
| Durban (Pier 2) |
2.1m TEUs |
| Cape Town |
0.9m TEUs |
| Port Elizabeth |
0.4m TEUs |
| Ngqura |
0.8m TEUs |
Mineral Bulk Sector
Transnet Port Terminals’ mineral bulk operations at Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth and Saldanha are integral parts of logistics corridors for key cargo:
- 13 core commodities, including coal and woodchips – Richards Bay
- Iron ore and steel products – Saldanha
- Manganese – Port Elizabeth
They are characterised by long runs on a network of conveyor belts, large dry bulk parcels and neo-bulk parcels using skip loading operations
Location |
Annual capacity |
|
| | Bulk | Break-bulk |
| Richards Bay |
21 mtpa |
7.4 mtpa |
| Saldanha |
58 mtpa |
3.0 mtpa |
| Port Elizabeth |
5.5 mtpa |
0.9 mtpa |
Agricultural bulk & Ro-Ro Sector
Transnet Port Terminals operates Ro-Ro terminals at Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London. Break-bulk cargo is handled at Durban, Maydon Wharf, East London and Cape Town. Specialised Agricultural facilities are located at Maydon Wharf, East London and Cape Town.
Ro-Ro
Ro-Ro facilities are combination/multi-service terminals which handle a variety of cargo driven onto and off the vessel, requiring minimal use of quayside equipment.
Location |
Annual capacity |
| Durban |
520 000 FBUs |
| East London |
139 000 FBUs |
| Port Elizabeth |
200 000 FBUs (40% export / 60% import) |
Break-Bulk
Commodities handled at each break-bulk terminal are as follows:
- Niche Container Business, abnormal cargo, steel commodities and project cargo- Durban Roro
- Project cargo, neo-bulk, timber, steel coils and other steel products- Maydon Wharf
- Break-bulk and containerised cargo, including motor vehicle components, chemicals, textiles, fruits, sugar, timber and scrap –East London
- Timber, steel, cement- Cape Town
Location |
Annual capacity |
| Durban Ro-Ro |
0.4 mtpa |
| Durban Maydon Wharf |
1.2 mtpa |
| East London |
0.21 mtpa |
| Cape Town |
1.2 mpta |
Agricultural Bulk
Agricultural exports are vital to the South African economy. Transnet Port Terminals Agricultural Bulk operations provide storage and facilities catering to international marketing requirements.
Commodities handed are:
Wheat, maize, soya bean meal, animal feed, wood chips- Maydon Wharf
Wheat, maize – East London
Fresh produce – Cape Town
Location |
Annual capacity |
| Durban Maydon Wharf |
1.47 mtpa |
| East London |
0.76 mtpa |
| Cape Town |
1.8 mtpa |
Creating capacity ahead of demand
The South African Government has embarked on a massive infrastructure drive to boost economy and alleviate poverty. The ports are seen as key engines for economic growth and as part of the Transnet Market Demand Strategy, TPT will receive R33billion of the total Transnet MDS R300 billion, aimed at creating new capacity for terminals to meet projected demand.
With this in mind, the future looks promising for South Africa’s commercial ports, the regions in which they are located, as well as our customers.