South Africa’s ports—the key gateways into the country—have seen the highest number of ship dockings since 2019, recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic-related slowdowns.
In 2025, a total of 9,342 ships arrived at South Africa’s ports, including the eight main commercial seaports: Cape Town, Durban, Richards Bay, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Ngqura, Saldanha Bay, East London, and Mossel Bay.
From 2019 to 2021, South Africa’s harbours experienced a significant decline in ships docking, dropping from 9,882 to 8,453.
According to research by GroundUp, this decline is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, ageing infrastructure, and issues of mismanagement and corruption.
South Africa’s commercial ports are managed by the Transnet National Ports Authority, which provides and maintains port infrastructure, organises marine-related services, and offers navigation aid and assistance to vessels along the coast.
According to recent statistics from the Outlier, Durban port remains the busiest in the country, despite a slight overall decline from 3,061 arrivals in 2018 to 2,939 in 2025.
Durban Harbour consistently maintained its position as the country’s highest-volume port throughout the charted period from 2018 to 2025.
Cape Town’s port is the only major harbour that showed a significant upward trajectory, increasing from 1,604 arrivals in 2018 to 2,235 in 2025.
Cape Town Harbour has overtaken Richards Bay as South Africa’s second busiest port since 2019.
Richards Bay Harbour experienced a decline, dropping from 1,922 ship dockings in 2018 to 1,438 in 2025.
GroundUp reported that Richards Bay, on the KwaZulu-Natal coast and primarily used for coal exports, has faced port coal shortages due to inefficiencies in Transnet’s rail operations.
Although ship dockings are still below 2018 levels, Richards Bay Harbour has reportedly seen improvements in rail operations and infrastructure upgrades.
South Africa’s ports
Richards Bay
Located 160 km northeast of Durban, Richards Bay was established in 1976 primarily for coal exports. It features 23 berths, a 300m-wide entrance channel, and six specialised cargo terminals, handling about 60% of South Africa’s annual seaborne cargo.
Durban
As one of Africa’s busiest ports, Durban handles over 86 million tons of cargo annually. It serves as a key trade gateway between South Africa and international markets, with about 60% of the country’s imports and exports passing through.
The port includes 58 berths and a cruise terminal.
East London
Situated at the mouth of the Buffalo River, East London is South Africa’s only river port, strategically linking Africa with global markets.
It has 11 commercial berths, with G berth commonly used for cruise liners, despite there being no official cruise facilities.
Ngqura
Ngqura, operational since 2009, is a deep-water harbour near Port Elizabeth and part of the Coega Industrial Development Zone.
It serves as a transhipment hub and features South Africa’s longest breakwater.
Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth)
Located in Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth handles various types of cargo and has 12 berths.
Its container terminal has three berths and is equipped with container handling equipment.
Mossel Bay
As the smallest commercial port, Mossel Bay has historical significance for European seafarers.
It primarily supports the fishing industry and has facilities for processing catches, though it lacks dedicated passenger ship facilities.
Cape Town
Located near Table Mountain, Cape Town’s port is important for trade between Europe and the Americas and has a history dating back to 1652.
It supports the regional fishing industry and tourist attractions like the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, alongside modern cargo facilities.
