The City of Cape Town has renewed calls for Transnet to accelerate efforts to improve efficiency at the Port of Cape Town after it was ranked last in the latest World Bank Container Port Performance Index (CPPI).

Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth Alderman James Vos said the latest ranking should concern anyone invested in South Africa's economic growth, exports, investment and job creation.

City backs faster reforms

"While Transnet has made investments to improve port operations, we are still not seeing this improvement reflected in the latest global port rankings. This should concern everyone who cares about economic growth, exports, investment and job creation in South Africa," said Vos.

"While there are encouraging signs that reforms and partnerships are beginning to yield improvements elsewhere in the country's port network, Cape Town continues to struggle with operational inefficiencies that undermine our competitiveness and frustrate exporters who are trying to get their products to international markets."

Vos welcomed recent efforts by port authorities to improve efficiencies, including Requests for Proposals to operate the Liquid Bulk Terminal and a cold storage terminal.

"The City notes the encouraging steps taken by port authorities to improve efficiencies, including Requests for Proposals to operate the Liquid Bulk Terminal and a cold storage terminal, as greater private sector involvement at the port cannot come soon enough. The City will continue to provide its full support to port authorities in reforming port inefficiencies."

Port remains a constraint on growth

According to Vos, concerns about the Port of Cape Town continue to feature prominently in engagements with businesses, exporters and investors.

"In our engagements with businesses, exporters, and investors, one issue consistently rises to the top of the agenda: the performance of the Port of Cape Town," he said.

"Whether it is agricultural producers trying to get fresh produce to overseas markets, manufacturers moving goods through supply chains, or logistics operators attempting to plan with certainty, the message is remarkably consistent. The port remains one of the biggest constraints on economic growth in the Western Cape."

Research commissioned by the Western Cape Government found that a more efficient Port of Cape Town could unlock approximately R6bn in additional exports, support nearly 20,000 jobs, generate more than R1.6bn in additional tax revenue and add meaningful growth to the provincial economy.

"Cape Town should have one of the most efficient ports on the African continent. We are strategically located on one of the world's busiest shipping routes. We are home to a diverse and growing economy, world-class industries and a globally recognised tourism destination," said Vos.

"Our port should be a competitive advantage that strengthens our position as a leading hub for trade and investment. Instead, it too often acts as a bottleneck that constrains growth and limits opportunity."

World Bank highlights operational challenges

The latest CPPI report found that persistent weather-related disruption and equipment reliability issues continued to weigh on performance at the Port of Cape Town.

"Cape Town illustrates how vessel turnaround times can worsen even when broader congestion indicators fluctuate," the report states.

According to the World Bank, weather-related disruption and equipment reliability challenges contributed to high variability in vessel turnaround times despite periods of easing global supply chain stress.

The deterioration was accompanied by declining berth utilisation, suggesting vessels increasingly spent time outside productive berth operations.

The report highlighted several interventions aimed at improving performance, including a predictive wind model developed with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a helicopter piloting service to improve vessel access during periods of high swell, and a digital cargo-planning platform.

The World Bank concluded that Cape Town's experience demonstrates how structural exposure to external conditions can dominate performance outcomes, independent of wider global demand cycles.

Durban and Ngqura among top improvers

While Cape Town ranked last in the index, the report identified Durban and Ngqura among the world's five most improved container ports between 2024 and 2025.

Durban recorded a notable improvement in vessel turnaround times, with waiting vessels reduced from around 20 ships during peak congestion periods to zero in 2025.

Berth utilisation also improved significantly, increasing from approximately 52% in 2024 to 76% in 2025, indicating a shift away from anchorage delays towards more productive berth operations.

The report said the gains were supported by equipment recovery initiatives, management reforms and increased private-sector participation.

A key development highlighted in the report was the awarding of a 25-year concession to International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) to modernise Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with capacity expected to increase from 2 million TEUs to 2.8 million TEUs from 2026.

"While absolute ship time in port remains long, the CPPI improvement signals recovery momentum," the report states.

"The City's position is unambiguous: the port must work better, and the City will use every legitimate avenue available - partnership, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and reform - to make that happen," said Vos.

"We support opening the door far wider to private sector participation in port operations. We support reforms that bring investment, expertise and innovation into the system. We support measures that improve efficiency, reduce delays and strengthen South Africa's competitiveness in global markets."

"The time has come to stop talking about reform and start delivering it. Every day that meaningful reform is delayed is another day in which exporters face unnecessary obstacles, investment opportunities are placed at risk, and economic growth is constrained. Cape Town, the Western Cape and South Africa simply cannot afford to wait any longer."

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