Operational disruptions persist at Transnet due to ongoing breakdowns.
Transnet’s straddle carriers continue to face frequent breakdowns, impacting operations across South Africa’s ports. According to the latest Cargo Movement Update from the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) and Business Unity South Africa (Busa), container throughput saw a slight improvement, rising from a daily average of 10,691 TEUs to 11,046 TEUs. However, equipment issues and adverse weather continue to disrupt the state-owned port and rail operator’s performance.
A statement from Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) acknowledged the challenges, stating that the current supply of straddle carriers is under strain due to both equipment shortages and severe weather conditions. The Saaff/Busa report further highlighted that port operations were hindered primarily by weather disruptions, congestion, and equipment breakdowns, with Cape Town losing around 40 hours of operation this week alone due to adverse conditions.
TPT’s engineering team is working to address these issues, with a focus on boosting the operational capacity of the equipment in the coming weeks. Despite these efforts, insiders indicate that the quality of some equipment may be contributing to the persistent issues. A source at Durban’s port compared the situation to driving a low-cost car: affordable upfront but plagued by issues with quality and spare parts. The source added that TPT’s challenges could be reduced if more reliable assets had been acquired. However, it’s understood that port officials were advised to prioritize Chinese-made equipment due to South Africa’s strong trade ties with China.
In response to these persistent challenges, TPT is implementing additional measures to support straddle carrier capacity, such as increased use of quayside haulers and reach stackers to manage import flows and reduce congestion. Earle Peters, CEO of Durban Terminals, recently stated that Transnet is intensifying its engineering response to mitigate equipment breakdowns.
