The ports of Port Elizabeth and Ngqura in Nelson Mandela Bay have shown signs of improvement, yet they remain among the world's worst-performing container ports according to the World Bank's latest index. Business leaders highlight ongoing challenges in efficiency and call for better cooperation with road hauliers. Transnet reports measurable gains from its recovery efforts.
Nelson Mandela Bay's two key ports, Port Elizabeth and Ngqura, featured near the bottom of the World Bank's annual Container Port Performance Index, released in September. The Port of Port Elizabeth ranked 395th out of 405 global container ports, while the Port of Ngqura came in at 402nd. Despite these low rankings, the Port of Ngqura, a deep-water facility, has made notable progress, improving by more than 160 index points even as over half of worldwide ports saw their performance decline.
The World Bank report attributes these gains to 'targeted investments, operational reforms and adaptive measures to handle rerouted traffic.' At a public meeting in early October, Kelvin Naidoo, president of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, remarked that it is faster for his company to transport goods by road and export via Namibia's ports than using the local ones.
Denise van Huyssteen, CEO of the chamber, acknowledged recent logistics efficiencies at both ports, driven by employee incentives and new equipment procurement. However, she stressed the need to address operational issues, particularly in collaborating more efficiently with road hauliers. 'Nelson Mandela Bay has the advantage of being a two-port city, with one of these being a deep-water port, which is a vital enabler in accommodating and attracting the larger modern vessels,' van Huyssteen said. She hopes this marks a 'turning point' to boost South Africa's import and export trade, essential for local manufacturers competing globally.
In response, Transnet outlined its recovery plan since November 2023, including new equipment, enhanced support, and industry collaboration. Key achievements include a 79% reduction in vessels at anchorage—from 47 in November 2023 to three in August 2024—a 12% rise in gross crane moves per hour, and an 18% increase in ship working moves per hour. 'These improvements have been acknowledged by customers, shipping lines, and national stakeholders,' Transnet stated.