Freight Transport

South Africa's new Ngqura container terminal has reported a busy start to 2010, with transhipment volumes from the Far East, South America and the rest of Africa arriving at the facility for the first time in January

43 vessels, carrying a total of 35,403 TEU, have called at the terminal since its operational launch in October 2009

In January alone, the terminal served eighteen ships and handled 19,606 TEU, compared to an average of seven ships per month during the period October - December

Transnet Port Terminals' strategy, says Siya Mhlaluka, divisional executive manager for the container sector, has always been to position Ngqura container terminal as a potential transhipment hub because of its position midway between the Americas, Far East and Asia

"We are seeing a good response now, with vessels coming in from the Far East to drop off containers that are then picked up by vessels heading to South American locations," says Mhlaluka

MSC and MOL have included the Port of Ngqura in their regular ports of call, and Mhlaluka says that Transnet is in the process of negotiating contracts with other shipping lines as well

Transnet is on track to meeting its volume targets for the ZAR10 billion facility: ie 50,000 TEU in the first six months of operation and 100,000 TEU by the end of the first year

Some volumes have been moved from the neighbouring Port of Port Elizabeth, although there are still service lines calling at PE container terminal