South African ports still rank among worst in the world
South Africa’s efforts to improve operations at its main ports have gained traction, though the facilities still remain among the worst harbors globally in terms of performance, according to a ranking by the World Bank Group and S&P Global.
State-owned Transnet Port Terminals is pouring investment into cranes and new equipment after years of corruption and mismanagement that eroded the quality of its operations.
The Container Port Performance Index from 2020 to 2024 took note of the upgrades and measures, including better weather forecasting at two local facilities.
“The resilience demonstrated by Coega and Cape Town highlights that structural reforms and operational improvements can translate quickly into measurable performance gains, even under challenging global conditions,” researchers for the World Bank and S&P report wrote.
Still, Cape Town was 400th in the survey, with Coega and Durban the penultimate and last of the 403 ports ranked.
The CPPI — which uses the time spent in port as a proxy of performance — is a sore subject for Transnet as it looks for investment and partnerships from the private sector.
It disputed the index last year when Cape Town was found to be the worst performer globally and met with World Bank representatives to discuss its view.
The outlook for the current year is also showing positive signs for Transnet, with lower waiting times at anchor and more crane movements, the researchers said.
“Early data available for 2025 confirms that the investments and improvements have already had measurable positive impacts on performance,” they said.
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