TRANSNET Port Terminals reported that its combined terminal operations exceeded their weekly target in the week ended 20 July 2025, when 101,295 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were processed. The state-owned terminal operator, which operates container terminals at Durban Container Terminals Pier 1 and Pier 2, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Ngqura, said this feat was last seen in the 2017/2018 financial year, when the operator achieved 101,871 TEUs, which remains a current record.
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says it has seen consistent performance improvements since the implementation of Transnet’s Recovery Plan. According to TPT, it has also been exceeding targets for the arrival, berthing and departure of vessels, in line with its shipping agreements and there have been no vessel backlogs and delays across port terminals nationwide.
TPT attributes the improvements to a combination of real-time performance reporting, the introduction of a new incentive scheme and an intensive focus on equipment replacement – along with the introduction of a fourth shift across all terminals, which contributed towards the achievement of balance between performance and employee wellness. The delivery of key cargo handling equipment such as straddle carriers, rubber-tyred gantry cranes, haulers, reach stackers and empty container handlers has particularly supported the drive towards volume and productivity improvements.
Recent initiatives have strengthened customer collaboration, encouraged integrated planning and sharing of best practice. With National Treasury allowances, TPT has been able to fast-track its equipment acquisition plan, and where lead times were long, cargo owners and customers have moved TPT to the front of the line. More new equipment is planned to arrive in Cape Tow and Durban before the end of this calendar year.
Annually, the operator handles over four million containers, with plans to increase volumes by seeking new partners and exploring new markets.
