The Port of Cape Town has recorded an increase in its container and miscellaneous cargo traffic during the 2025/26 fiscal year, while the delays in the port of call and waiting for ships have continued to decrease. The port authority is continuing to open its terminals to the private sector.
The Port of Cape Town, South Africa, recorded a 6.5% increase in container volumes during the 2025/26 fiscal year, compared to the previous fiscal year. In particular, this development was supported by the performance of import and export flows on the high seas.
Other goods (break bulk) also increased by 25.5%, while liquid bulk increased by 10.3%, mainly due to higher oil imports and coastal exports.
Conversely, dry bulk volumes declined by 42.8% over one year. This decrease is mainly due to improved local crops and increased availability of cereals in the domestic market, which reduced the Western Cape Province's need for maize and barley imports.
The trend in traffic thus reflects both gains in certain categories of goods and changes in import demand.
These results are accompanied by improved operational performance, according to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). The average container time, measured by the Ship Turnaround Time (STAT), increased from 103 hours in 2023/24 to 83 hours in 2024/25 and then to 74 hours in 2025/26.
In fiscal year 2026/27, the average recorded since the beginning of the year was 58 hours. The average waiting time for mooring vessels also decreased from 127 hours in 2023/24 to 79 hours in 2025/26. These improvements are attributed to increased handling rates, reduced delays in maritime operations and several infrastructure investments.
Among the interventions highlighted are the permanent deployment of ten dock voltage units at the Port of Cape Town container terminal. According to the NPTA, these equipments have reduced the interruption periods associated with long hoops by 92 per cent since the 2023/24 exercise.
In parallel, the port continues its policy of private sector participation: nine of its eleven terminals are currently operated by private operators. New calls for proposals are foreseen for a versatile terminal as well as a floating installation dedicated to naval repair.
These measures are part of the strategy « Reinvent for Growth » Transnet, which aims to improve the operational performance of the South African port network and to increase the participation of private actors.
