If you've got containers moving through South Africa right now, you're probably feeling the heat. And you're not alone.
Extreme congestion at the Durban Gateway Terminal has gotten so bad that on Friday, the presidency was called in to help. The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) didn't mince words – they declared it a full-blown crisis.
What's actually happening on the ground?
The terminal is struggling to migrate to a new Navis N4 container management system, and equipment breakdowns are making a bad situation worse. One source told The Loadstar that little had changed over the weekend – the operator "hasn't managed to claw back much of the congestion, stacks are still very elevated".
MSC has been warning customers to expect delays of anywhere up to a week. And with August being "traditionally the windiest period of the year in Durban," weather-related disruptions could pile on even more pressure.
Here's the ugly reality: productivity at the terminal is less than a third of its usual level. Several quay cranes are breaking down due to ageing equipment, and there's a shortage of straddle carriers. No new equipment has been commissioned yet, despite investment plans being discussed.
The numbers are staggering
SAAFF reported a mind-boggling 71,000 containers stranded outside the Port of Durban. Backlogs are expected to drag on until at least February next year.
Vessels calling at Durban Gateway Terminal faced average anchorage times of 80 hours in July, with average berthing times hitting 106 hours. By the end of July, 28 vessels were at anchor across Durban's different terminals. That's a lot of cargo sitting in the water, going nowhere fast.
1. How did it get this bad?
The problems emerged after the terminal's transition to the Navis N4 system under new operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), which acquired 49% of the terminal earlier this year after a contentious battle with APM Terminals. ICTSI took over operations at Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 on January 1.
But the transition has been anything but smooth. SAAFF said the operational and equipment constraints have "choked the flow of cargo" through the port. The association escalated the matter to President Cyril Ramaphosa's office, and a presidential delegation has already visited the port.
2. The ripple effects are spreading
SAAFF chief executive Juanita Maree put it bluntly: "This is now a crisis. With severe knock-on effects spreading rapidly across national supply chains".
Carriers are already rerouting vessels, with some bypassing Durban altogether and discharging at alternative ports like Ngqura. But that just shifts the pressure elsewhere. The port of Ngqura is also seeing vessels waiting at anchorage for around five days.
For cargo owners, the costs are mounting. SAAFF has warned that costs arising from system and operational delays "cannot simply be transferred to cargo owners, freight forwarders or other affected parties". But in practice, that's exactly what's happening – storage charges, demurrage fees, and delayed shipments are all adding up.
3. What this means for your supply chain
Here's the reality: when a major gateway like Durban seizes up, it doesn't just affect shipments to and from South Africa. It ripples through regional trade lanes across Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean islands, and even into Europe and Asia.
Maersk has already advised customers that wait times at Durban Pier 1 have deteriorated to five days. And with the peak citrus export season still underway, reefer plug utilisation is high and landside congestion is only getting worse.
This is exactly when experience pays off
Markets like this separate the forwarders who just move boxes from the ones who actually protect your supply chain.
At Xiamen AE Global, we've been navigating exactly this kind of chaos since 2018. We're a government-licensed company with IATA, FIATA, FMC, and NVOCC credentials – which means when a major port goes into crisis mode, we have the global network and the carrier relationships to find alternatives.
1. Real relationships, real options
With over 100 overseas agents worldwide, we don't just watch the congestion reports from a distance. We work directly with our partners on the ground to understand what's really happening at each port – and we adjust our clients' routing strategies accordingly.
When Durban gridlocks, we're already talking to our partners about alternative gateways. Reroute through Ngqura? Discharge in Maputo and truck inland? Hold at origin until the situation stabilises? We've got the options, and we make the calls quickly.
2. Technology that cuts through the noise
We've invested heavily in technology that gives our clients real visibility – not just a tracking number, but actual insight into what's happening with capacity, schedules, and alternatives. When disruptions hit, we don't wait for you to find out the hard way. We alert you immediately and present options.
3. Local knowledge, global reach
Based in Xiamen – one of Asia's busiest port cities – we combine the global reach of an IATA and FIATA-approved forwarder with the local knowledge of a partner who's been shipping all kinds of goods for over a decade. We've moved over 12,000 TEUs in a single year with a 98.6% on-time delivery rate for our SME clients. That's not luck – it's relentless execution and a network that doesn't fall apart when things get complicated.
The bottom line
Durban's container terminal is in crisis. 71,000 containers are stranded. Vessels are waiting days just to get a berth. Equipment is breaking down. The president has been called in. And the backlog isn't expected to clear until next year.
For shippers, that means one thing: you need a logistics partner who understands the ground reality, has the relationships to secure alternatives, and can pivot fast when things go sideways.
At Xiamen AE Global, we don't just move boxes. We help our clients navigate complexity – whether that's finding an alternative route around a gridlocked port, securing space when capacity is tight, or simply making sure your cargo gets where it needs to go, on time and on budget.
Because when a port is in crisis, you don't need a spectator. You need a partner who knows how to get your cargo moving again.
Ready to work with a logistics partner who actually understands the market? Contact Xiamen AE Global today – and let's keep your supply chain moving, no matter what's happening at the dock.
