The World Bank and S&P Global publish the CPPI annually, which ranks container ports based on vessel turnaround time (time in port), weighted by ship size and call type. Lower rankings = worse performance.
- 2023 data (published 2024): Cape Town was ranked last (worst) out of ~405 ports. Durban was near the bottom (around 398th), with other South African ports like Ngqura (Coega) and Port Elizabeth also very low.
- 2024 data (published ~Sep 2025): Durban took the worst spot (last out of 403 ports). Cape Town improved slightly to 400th, with Coega second-last and Port Elizabeth around 395th. All major South African ports remained in the global bottom 10.
South African ports have consistently ranked at the very bottom in recent years due to chronic issues like equipment shortages, congestion, labor problems, infrastructure decay, and operational inefficiencies under Transnet.
Improvements and Ongoing Challenges
Cape Town has shown notable improvement in some metrics (one of the stronger gains in certain reports, with score jumps of ~240 points in one period), thanks to public-private partnerships and targeted fixes. Durban has also been highlighted for strong recent gains in newer data (e.g., most improved in some 2025 updates), but structural problems persist.
These rankings reflect real drags on South Africa’s economy — higher shipping costs, delays, and lost competitiveness for exports/imports. Efforts at reform are underway, but progress is slow.
The statement captures the back-and-forth between Cape Town and Durban for the dubious “honor” of worst performer. For the full reports, check the World Bank’s open knowledge site.
