Private sector toiling to spare Cape Town from similar port fate as Durban

The 70 000+ containers sitting outside Durban is currently getting a lot of media attention, and deservedly so.

But the lesser-known story lingering beneath the radar is how the private sector is toiling to spare Cape Town a similar fate – by resolving infrastructure challenges threatening regional growth.

Many would have bemoaned new container surcharges effective from next month, prompted by Transnet’s port congestion crisis. Maersk, MSC and other shipping companies have been stung into action, with Maersk also recalibrating their service routes as a result of the Durban bottleneck.

What many don’t realise is that Maersk was instrumental in sourcing several second-hand rubber tyre gantries currently on their way to Cape Town and expected to be in place in time for the fruit export season starting in January.

At the same time Cape Town Port’s eight ship-to-shore gantries are fully operational, largely thanks to ongoing pressure from business stakeholders directly impacted by equipment failure.

Unfortunately there are still serious challenges up ahead, not least of which is Government’s reluctance to accelerate public-private partnerships that could not only fix the Port but usher in a new era of expansion and innovation. In this regard the Cape Chamber will continue to play its part, by pushing for policy reform. Private contractors are willing and eager to get involved – we just need Government to play its part to give them investor certainty. Let’s get the bids out there. If the private sector is willing to invest funds to make thing happen, they why not let them do that?

We appeal to our Government partners to support a much-needed Western Cape Logistics Cluster which could push the Port beyond crisis management and into expansionary mode.

John Lawson
CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry