Industry bodies the South African Freight and Logistics Association (Safla) and the Road Freight Association (RFA) are calling for a unified recovery plan to restore predictable cargo flow through the Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT), following sustained disruption across vessel, yard, system and landside operations.
In July, vessels at the DGT averaged 80 hours at anchorage and 106 hours at berth. After the mid-August NAVIS N4 terminal operating system cut-over, weekly throughput fell 26% and reported terminal waits reached 8 to 12 days, the organisations say.
Independent monitoring data shows average Durban port call time rose from under five days in late June to more than 12 days by late August, and monthly berth calls fell from 34 in May to 19 in August.
Similarly, the time transporters spend in the port precinct per visit has risen by more than 50% in the past three-month period, while Bayhead Road transit times have climbed steadily since January.
Terminal operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) assumed operational responsibility for DGT on January 1, under a 25-year partnership with State-owned Transnet. It inherited longstanding infrastructure, yard, road and rail constraints alongside pre-handover investment in 20 new straddle carriers and four ship-to-shore cranes.
