TNPA flags delays and equipment failures at Durban port - IOL

Long queues of heavy duty trucks wait to enter the Port of Durban on Bayhead Road amid ongoing congestion affecting landside operations the container terminal. The image was captured on September 16, 2026.

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is probing the cause of trucking congestion outside the Port of Durban on Bayhead Road. 

The issue of trucks queuing to enter the Port of Durban was briefly mentioned when the TNPA presented an operational overview to the Portfolio Committee on Transport on Tuesday. Social media reports highlight the number of trucks along Umbilo Road, Sydney Road, South Coast Junction and Solomon Mahlangu Drive in Durban. 

Mohammed Abdool, Chief Executive Officer of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) highlighted ageing infrastructure and outdated equipment, persistent congestion and poor efficiency, larger vessels exceeding port limits, and weak hinterland and rail connectivity as some of the challenges.

Abdool also touched on deferred and reactive maintenance at TNPA. He said TNPA has resource constraints regarding critical spares and supply chain delays. Additionally, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and technology capability gaps exist at TNPA.

Concerning marine service delays at the Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT), Abdool said they needed to invest in ship-to-shore cranes and straddle cranes. He said TNPA was looking into the problem at Durban Port and truck congestion outside of the terminals. 

Abdool spoke of TNPA’s Reinvent for Growth (R4G) strategy, which aims to fix and optimise the TNPA business and restore operational excellence and enhance port efficiency. He said TNPA plans to improve vessel turnaround performance in the port system to enhance port efficiency and reduce logistics costs.

He said TNPA is deepening berths in the Durban Container Terminal to accommodate deep draft vessels calling at the port.  He said there are plans to increase the capacity of the Cape Town Container Terminal to 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

The TNPA is also looking into replacing dry dock Jib cranes in Durban, East London and Cape Town. The TNPA also plans to operationalise the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal and create additional capacity for fresh produce and liquid bulk in Richards Bay.

The TNPA is also planning to relocate manganese exports from Port Elizabeth to Ngqura. The TNPA also has plans for the Boegoebaai Port Development, regarded as a strategic greenfield initiative in the Northern Cape aimed at unlocking regional economic potential by supporting bulk exports, enabling future green energy and industrial development. 

According to TNPA ship turnaround time statistics until July 2026, the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 1 had an average wait of 61 hours while DCT Pier 2 averaged 99 hours.

Abdool said Durban's DCT Pier 1 performance experienced weather-related stoppages and equipment breakdowns that reduced crane deployment. Additionally, two cranes were out of commission for planned maintenance.

He said Durban's Gateway Terminal (DGT) Pier 2 also had equipment failures, reduced crane availability from planned maintenance, faulty reefers, tidal vessel constraints, and the handling of medium to large parcel sizes during the peak reefer season.

Ngqura (NCT) in Algoa Bay, also experienced recurring Ship-to-Shore (STS) crane breakdowns, reefer handling by vessel crews, adverse weather, high tides, twist lock jams on older vessels,load sequence changes, and power/system failures.

“Weather remains the primary systemic risk, accounting for the majority of delays across six of the eight ports. Durban is the key area requiring intervention, with marine services accounting for 16% of delayed movements and the lowest On-Time Pickup. Weather remained the predominant cause of delays across the majority of ports. Despite these challenges, Richards Bay, Cape Town, and Saldanha Bay maintained strong service reliability,” Abdool said.

Durban Metro Police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said they were dealing with the congestion matter on a daily basis. He said he will provide a more detailed operational response from regional teams soon.