South Africa has the worst port in the world

South Africa has the two worst-performing ports in the world, with Coega and Durban being ranked 402 and 403, respectively. 

The country’s busiest port in Durban is ranked as the worst in the world due to its long wait times, inefficiency in offloading, and a lack of modern equipment. 

This is a far cry from the government’s ambitious plans to make Durban the most efficient port in Africa and among the best in the world. 

South Africa’s dismal performance was revealed in the latest edition of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Ratings. 

Launched in 2020, the CPPI has detailed the decline of South Africa’s ports over the past four years, as the country’s steady fall in the rankings mimics Transnet’s collapse. 

The index measures the time container ships spend in port and uses this as a proxy for the performance of the infrastructure that has become increasingly important in a globalised economy. 

A timely turnaround of container ships is crucial to keep logistics costs low and supply chains efficient, ensuring that ports remain resilient catalysts for development, the World Bank said. 

The aim of the CPPI is to provide an objective measure of container port performance, identify global or local trends in maritime container trade efficiency, and highlight where vessel time in port could be improved. 

Overall, from 2020 to 2024, port performance declined around the world due to the Red Sea crisis, challenges at the Panama Canal and pandemic-related shocks. 

However, efficiency gains varied by region and income level, with East Asian ports continuing to improve and a remarkable recover in North America and Europe. 

Southern Africa continues to face persistent challenges, including limited automation and weak connectivity to inland industrial hubs. 

Ports in this part of the world were also put under immense strain in 2024 due to the Red Sea crisis, with rerouted ships adding to congestion. 

South African ports, while showing some improvement, continued to be among the worst with regard to wait times and offloading.

Durban, South Africa’s largest port and most important container terminal, ranked as the worst port in the world according to the index.

Coega was not much better at 402 in the world out of 403 ports tracked by the World Bank and S&P Global. Cape Town came in at 400 and Port Elizatbeth at 395. 

The rankings and scores of the South African ports can be seen in the table below. 

Port	Ranking (out of 403)	Score
Durban	403	-721
Coega	402	-284
Cape Town	400	-281
Port Elizabeth	395	-169

Bouncing back

Despite these dismal rankings, South Africa’s ports have significantly improved their performance over the past year. 

Cape Town was the biggest improver year-on-year, while Coega was the fourth most-improved port, according to the index. 

The World Bank explained that the Red Sea crisis put immense pressure on South Africa’s ports, with large volumes of Asia-Europe trade transiting through the country’s harbours. 

This placed new demands on capacity and operational efficiency at a time when many ports worldwide experienced deteriorating performance.

While overall scores in Sub-Saharan Africa remain constrained by structural issues and congestion, several South African ports recorded noteworthy improvements. 

Cape Town improved its CPPI score by nearly 240 points between 2023 and 2024, one of the strongest gains globally. 

Transnet has invested heavily in the port in Cape Town, installing new cranes and equipment, upgrading warehousing capacity, and introducing innovative measures such as hydraulic shore-tension units and a predictive wind model.

Coega also improved by more than 160 index points, even as more than half of all ports worldwide saw their performance worsen during the same period. 

These improvements reflect targeted investments, operational reforms, and adaptive measures to handle rerouted traffic. 

Durban, South Africa’s principal gateway, has benefited from modernization initiatives, including the acquisition of new tugboats, ship-to-shore cranes, haulers, and trailers. 

Daily operational meetings and a container management system have enhanced cargo handling and turnaround efficiency. 

A request for proposals to bring in private sector participation at Durban Container Terminal further signals an ambition to align with global best practices. 

The establishment of a National Logistics Crisis Committee and, more recently, a dedicated unit to accelerate private sector participation in the sector, further underlines South Africa’s commitment to long-term reform, the World Bank said. 

The corporatisation of Transnet National Ports Authority and the transition toward a regulated landlord port model are part of this broader transformation agenda.