Delays persist at Durban port ahead of festive season
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
Durban terminal, South Africa’s main container port, is facing persistent delays as the year-end peak season linked to Black Friday and Christmas begins, with around a dozen ships waiting and losses for manufacturers. Maritime consultant Dave Watts notes that rail freight’s share has fallen below 15%, from around 22% in the mid-2010s, Daily Maverick reports.
Cargo delays remain high at Durban port ahead of the year-end activity peak, with around 12 ships waiting at any given time and up to 20 additional days for affected supply chains, according to professionals cited by Daily Maverick.
Dave Watts, a maritime consultant who has worked with the South African Freight and Logistics Association and the Citrus Growers’ Association, estimates that a ship arriving at the anchorage can wait 12 days before being handled, followed by four days for port operations and another few days to leave, due to land-side congestion. The Durban Gateway Terminal, or Pier 2, has stabilised without sustainably clearing its backlog, according to Jacob van Rensburg, head of research and analysis at the South African Association of Freight Forwarders.
Pressure is expected to increase with the year-end season, following the citrus period from April to October, notably because of Black Friday, Christmas and the needs of industrial businesses seeking to complete their annual activities. The share of South African freight transported by rail fell from around 22% in the mid-2010s to less than 15% in 2025, according to data from Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies cited by Daily Maverick.
The situation recalls the difficulties encountered at Durban port in 2023, when port operator Transnet had already been criticised for delays, Daily Maverick reports.
