Cape town: Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has lauded Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) for significantly improving performance since June 2025 by consistently averaging over 90,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per week. This marks a substantial increase compared to the 65,000 TEUs per week recorded for the same period last year.
According to South African Government News Agency, a determined focus on improved loading and offloading rates by TPT has resulted in a year-on-year container volume increase of 7.2% by the end of August 2025. In the week ended 20 July 2025, a historic 101,295 TEUs were handled across the entity's container terminals. TPT recorded its all-time record in the 2014/2015 financial year when it handled 105,650 TEUs in a single week.
Transport Minister Creecy expressed optimism about the future, emphasizing that the improved performance offers hope for the return of trans-shipment volumes lost during the 2023/2024 year. This resurgence is expected to ensure job retention and future job creation for the maritime economy.
These improvements are attributed to four main initiatives, including the introduction of new equipment such as nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes for the Durban Container Terminal Pier 1, 20 straddle carriers for the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, a ship-to-shore crane for the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal, and over 200 haulers and trailers for all container terminals.
Additional contributing factors include focused maintenance efforts that have reduced equipment breakdowns and increased uptime, process improvements, and various people management initiatives such as the introduction of a fourth shift to enhance employee wellbeing and a new incentive scheme.
TPT Chief Executive, Jabu Mdaki, highlighted the unprecedented collaboration between TPT, labour partners, shipping lines, cargo owners, and logistics stakeholders as a key factor in achieving this milestone. The synergy across these groups has enabled a seamless flow of operations, with vessels now berthing on arrival across all terminals, overcoming the backlog challenges faced in 2023.