According to research by South Africa's Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Durban Container Terminal has recently recorded progress in accommodating larger container vessels, despite continuing to face operational constraints.

The study was conducted against the background of Durban ranking among the lowest-performing ports in the international Container Port Performance Index, despite being the busiest container port in the Southern hemisphere.

TNPA wanted to examine whether infrastructure, equipment and operational systems are adequately prepared to handle larger vessels efficiently.

Findings highlight ongoing challenges in berth productivity, yard capacity, equipment availability and landside coordination.

The port has also faced persistent congestion over several years, enduring prolonged disruption and delays, with crane productivity previously noted at a slow 18 moves per hour.

However, back in 2025, the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) took over Pier 2 at the port, and it committed about USD 670 million to supercharging capacity from 2 million to 2.8 million TEUs.

Pier 2 accounts for almost three-quarters of the port’s throughput, so operational changes have a direct impact on overall performance.

Since then, logistics experts report tangible improvement at the port, including increased trucks at the gates and faster container handling.

Crane productivity is set to improve further, while vessel waiting times are expected to decrease as these adjustments take hold.

As part of the study, authorities recommended targeted infrastructure upgrades, improved planning and scheduling systems, enhanced collaboration among stakeholders and continued investment in skills development to support long-term operational performance.