The South African Association of Freight Forwarders has cautiously welcomed Transnet's announcement last week that they recorded a strong operational recovery during the 2025/26 financial year, with vessel traffic rising by 9% year-on-year. .
The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) has cautiously welcomed signs of operational improvement at Transnet after the State-owned logistics group announced stronger vessel traffic performance during the 2025/26 financial year.
Transnet said last week that vessel arrivals at South African ports rose by 9% year-on-year, signalling what it described as a strong operational recovery across its port system.
However, Dr Jacob van Rensburg, head of research and development at the SAAFF, said while the trend was encouraging, the industry should avoid drawing premature conclusions about the overall health of the country’s logistics network.
“Transnet’s media statement reports 8,630 vessel arrivals in FY2025/26, compared with 7,912 in FY2024/25, implying an increase of 718 arrivals, approximately 9.1%,” he said.
