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Cape Town’s container terminal has again been ranked the worst-performing container port in the world, prompting fresh warnings from South Africa’s fruit industry that ongoing inefficiencies are threatening export competitiveness, jobs and rural livelihoods.The warning follows the release of the 2025 container port performance index, compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, which ranked the Port of Cape Town 400th out of 400 container ports.In a joint statement, the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, Hortgro and the South African Table Grape Industry said Cape Town’s continued poor performance was a major concern for the agricultural export sector.They noted that while all South African ports remained among the worst performers globally, some showed significant improvements during the period under review.The Port of Durban was identified as the world’s most improved port compared with 2024, despite remaining near the bottom of the rankings at 398th. The Port of Ngqura ranked 380th and Port Elizabeth 314th, with both listed among the world’s top improvers.The organisations said Cape Town’s performance is a strategic risk given that it serves as South Africa’s primary export gateway for deciduous fruit, citrus and other agricultural products. About 80% of the country’s deciduous fruit exports are shipped through the port.The fruit industry supports about 320,000 jobs, accounting for roughly 35% of agricultural employment and 2% of total employment in South Africa, Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum CEO Piet de Jager said.Inefficiencies at the Port of Cape Town and other ports were increasing costs, reducing competitiveness and putting jobs at risk, De Jager said.The industry estimates that logistics-related disruptions during the 2025/26 deciduous fruit export season cost table grape producers about R3.2bn, while stone fruit growers lost a further R1.05bn through lost revenue and additional costs.The organisations acknowledged efforts by Transnet Port Terminals and the Transnet National Ports Authority to maintain, upgrade and replace equipment over the past year but said operational performance remained unacceptably low.“We appreciate the ongoing and constructive engagement between Transnet and industry stakeholders as we work together to address longstanding challenges, but we need to see and experience productivity improvements,” De Jager said.The industry said the latest rankings underscored the need for sustained reforms to improve reliability, efficiency and predictability at South African ports, arguing that these were critical for attracting shipping services, investment and maintaining customer confidence in international markets.The Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, Hortgro and the South African Table Grape Industry said they remained committed to working with Transnet, government and other stakeholders to support public and private sector interventions aimed at improving port performance and strengthening South Africa’s export competitiveness.The organisations said improvements recorded at Durban, Ngqura and Port Elizabeth demonstrated that progress was achievable but that similar gains now needed to be translated into consistent and measurable improvements at Cape Town, the country’s most important agricultural export gateway.
