Mireille Wenger, provincial minister of finance and economic opportunities in the Western Cape, says there has been significant deterioration at the Port of Cape Town (PoCT).
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‘We are heading into an export crisis in the Western Cape at the end of the year,’ says Wenger.
This includes critical equipment such as rubber-tyred gantries, which are used to load containers on and off trucks. As a result, the PoCT is not and will not be able to keep up with the volume of goods coming in and get them to market in time.
This is the impact that deteriorating equipment has had on the PoCT during the first two weeks of October 2023 (from 2 to 15 October):
- The waiting time for vessels at anchor averaged 4.9 days, versus the target of one day,
- The turnaround time for vessels averaged 10 days versus the target of four,
- Containers moved averaged 9 9197 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) containers versus the target of 20 000,
- The turnaround time for trucks averaged 77 minutes versus the target of 35 minutes, and
- Night shift utilisation averaged 13.5% versus a target of 20%.
‘The variance between actual performance and targets is [a] cause of great concern and is why private sector participation is urgently needed at the Cape Town Port, as is currently underway at the Ports of Durban and Ngqura,’ says Wenger.
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The Western Cape Government’s (WCG) research data indicates that the province’s GDP could grow by approximately 1% if exports were increased by 10%.
‘However, to achieve this growth in exports, we need the port to be our economic partner and for it to be running efficiently, with adequate investment in its infrastructure, including vital equipment. Which is why the private sector should be brought in to run the terminal and increase the efficiency at the Port.’
The WCG’s economic action plan, Growth for Jobs, aims to triple Western Cape exports by 2035. However, this can only be achieved if the PoCT is functional and meets the demands of a growing economy.
‘Put simply, when our ports work, the whole of South Africa’s economy works. And South Africa cannot wait any longer. It is high time that the private sector is brought in to boost the efficiency of the Port of Cape Town so we can work together to achieve the kind of breakout economic growth we need to create thousands of new jobs in the province, and in South Africa.’
However, Wenger notes that good rains have been beneficial to the province. ‘With the good rains we have experienced, our agricultural goods for export are anticipated to increase by 25%. This is a wonderful opportunity to increase exports and to bring in more revenue.’
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