Port of Cape Town needs to expedite, innovate and automate

Dear Editor

During a briefing on the Port of Cape Town, it has been revealed that for the 2021/22 financial year, the port has already lost more than three months (96 days) in operations due to weather conditions and slow turnover leading to many ships simply by-passing the port altogether. While there have been some improvements, ships continue to spend nearly a week waiting in the bay which has contributed to a decline in received and shipped containers seen since 2019. Ultimately, we need to see innovative solutions expedited such as the automation of processes to bring efficiency and reliability to the Port.

While these numbers are concerning for the many businesses and suppliers that make use of the port, we must welcome the steady, if slow, progress that has taken place. Since June 2021, Transnet has implemented a temporary holding area for trucks to address congestion at the Belcon Terminal; the Rail Refurbishment Construction project underway at the Cape Town Multi-Purpose Terminal, aimed at getting trucks off the road is set to be completed by April 2022. More than this, a focus on the procurement and proactive maintenance of equipment, in partnership with manufacturers, has seen improvement in the availability of equipment. The addition of another mobile harbour crane and two hydrolytic tension units to assist in loading and stabilisation of ships in the port will also ensure that the citrus export season will run smoother this year.

The implementation of a night shift at the Belcon Terminal has meant that 7 000 trucks are being processed every day so that containers can be transported over the railway system, elevating traffic and congestion from our roads and our harbour. Unfortunately, the railway system is woefully underutilised, as the number of containers transported on this line have not increased in the last decade despite the fact that the export industry, particularly in the agri-processing sector, has expanded in recent years.

The provincial parliament was also briefed on the cyber security attack which brought the ports across the country to a standstill in July last year and note the new measures that have been put in place to ensure that this never happens again. We will continue to monitor the impact that this will have on the Western Cape economy.

MPP Deidré Baartman says: “While these improvements are desperately needed and welcomed, the challenges created by the side-lining of large scale infrastructure projects and the lack of maintenance for equipment will take years to address. That is why innovative solutions such as the automation of the port must be expedited to create a more effective and efficient port which will see industries across the Western Cape thrive.

Weather conditions and poor equipment can lead to a backlog of more than 1 000 trucks awaiting processing which has a knock-on effect across the entire supply chain. That is why the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism is working closely with the Transnet National Ports Authority and their stakeholders to find solutions and support the ease of doing business in the Western Cape. The corporatisation of the port is a step in the right direction but more needs to be done to support businesses in the Western Cape.”

Regards

Deidré Baartman, MPP
DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities, and Tourism

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