EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
It takes two days to unload a container ship.
maintenance delays and procurement issues remain persistent challenges.
The Durban Container Port is at a critical juncture. It boasts strong fundamentals – prime location, strategic shipping routes and robust reefer capabilities – but faces infrastructure fatigue, growth limitations and efficiency gaps.
Port design is spatially dispersed, with terminals built on reclaimed islands, resulting in longer travel paths compared to more compact, vertically designed ports like those in Asia.
PIER 1 VS PIER 2: OPERATIONAL DIFFERENCES
As the tour moved to Pier 1, Keit noted key differences:
• Pier 1 uses Rubber Tyre Gantries( RTGs), which span 6 – 7 containers across, unlike Pier 2’ s straddle carriers
• Due to space limitations, hatch covers from vessels are stored on the ship-toshore lanes at Pier 1, a practice not used elsewhere
• Pier 1 was historically a multi-purpose and ro-ro terminal, and its current design reflects that legacy
• While RTGs offer flexibility, both layouts serve different operational needs depending on terminal capacity and ship type
MAINTENANCE REALITIES FROM NEGLECT TO RECOVERY
Keit candidly acknowledged a period of neglect: a“ sweating of the assets” mentality resulted in delayed maintenance and mid-life refurbishments. By 2023, the port had 115 straddle carriers, but only 40 were operational, with the rest cannibalised for parts. Many of the machines had exceeded their eight-year( 14 000-hour) lifespan.
Since then, TPT has begun refreshing equipment and implementing OEM-backed service plans, akin to a car’ s maintenance agreement, to ensure uptime and reliability. Nevertheless, saltwater corrosion and harsh operating conditions mean ongoing maintenance remains a significant budget and planning item.
The port is still largely powered by dieselelectric equipment. Dedicated fuel browsers supply straddle carriers, and a maintenance workshop – built high to allow access to container-picking arms – handles major repairs.
Automation remains part of the long-term strategy, but for now, manual operations are more cost-effective and reliable given the complexity and unpredictability of Durban’ s container flows.
The port’ s shipping routes are evolving. Hamburg Süd, now absorbed into Maersk,
still calls at Durban, mainly serving Europe. The AMEX( America Express) service – previously a Maersk and MSC partnership – has shifted, with Maersk withdrawing and MSC increasing capacity to compensate. Despite the changes, Durban remains confident in maintaining volumes due to long-standing contracts with shipping lines.
The port ' s peak season( August – October) sees a spike in citrus exports, much of it arriving from northern provinces like Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Though Cape Town handles some volumes from the Western and Eastern Cape, Durban’ s cold storage infrastructure makes it the preferred port for many growers.
Bulk break strategies are increasingly used: trains bring reefers from inland to Durban, where cargo is distributed by truck to cold stores before containerisation and export. Keit stressed the need for more rail connectivity, noting that only a handful of such services are currently operational.
Pier 2 was selected for Private Sector Participation( PSP) – a move distinct from privatisation. The idea was to bring in a private investor to:
• Improve equipment reliability
• Inject capital
• Improve performance
However, the process has become mired in legal challenges after a losing bidder contested the outcome. This has stalled the rollout of PSP, though the potential for transformation remains significant once legal proceedings are concluded.
EXIT PROCESS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
After a container is loaded or offloaded, trucks return to the exit gate, completing the cycle. Efficiency at each step of this process, from entry to loading to exit, is critical to terminal performance.
Keit closed the tour by emphasising the importance of process stability, equipment availability and collaborative planning among stakeholders. With new investments in equipment, infrastructure and digitisation, Durban is poised for a stronger, more resilient future, provided lessons from the past are fully integrated into future planning. Durban Container Port sits at a strategic crossroad: balancing old infrastructure with new ambitions, manual operations with automation potential, and public ownership with private collaboration. Despite the challenges, the port’ s leadership remains optimistic.
As Keit put it:“ If you get the process right, and you ' ve got the resources – you can cruise.” CLA
10 www. coldlinkafrica. co. za COLD LINK AFRICA • November / December 2025