Transnet Terminals Show Strong Performance Gains

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The Department of Transport has reported a marked improvement in the performance of Transnet’s Port Terminals between June and August this year.

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Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), which oversees cargo handling operations across the country’s commercial ports, is responsible for loading and offloading containers, vehicles, breakbulk, and bulk cargo.

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According to the department, weekly performance averaged more than 90,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the period, compared with 65,000 units over the same months last year. This reflects a year-on-year increase of 7.2% in container volumes by the end of August.

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Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi attributed the improvement to targeted maintenance that reduced equipment breakdowns, the introduction of a fourth shift to safeguard employee well-being, and substantial investment in new machinery.

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Among the equipment introduced were nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes for Durban Container Terminal Pier 1, 20 straddle carriers for Pier 2, a ship-to-shore crane at Port Elizabeth, and more than 200 hauliers and trailers distributed across all container terminals.

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Msibi highlighted that in the week ending 20 July 2025, a record 101,295 TEUs were processed across TPT container facilities. The all-time peak of 105,650 TEUs in a single week was last achieved in the 2014/2015 financial year.

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He added that the improved performance gives the department confidence that cargo volumes lost in the 2023/2024 financial year will return, strengthening the ports’ role in job retention and creating opportunities for future employment.

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