Logistics News Update – 3rd November 2026

Welcome to another Logistics News Update. 

It is November and the Black November deals will soon be out, so let’s hope the stock has reached the stores in time. Durban remains our main concern this week, with the latest port indicator at 15 days, up one day from last week, while Cape Town is at five days, Coega at four and Port Elizabeth at one. Please remember that these figures give us a general picture of the ports and do not tell you how long your particular vessel or container will wait, so check with your service provider before promising your customers that their goods will be available.

We are hoping for some breathing room from the temporary fuel levy relief starting on 4 November, although we still need to see what happens to transporters’ fuel surcharges and how much of that saving reaches the final delivery cost. Cape Town is also getting ready for the fruit season and exporters need to keep an eye on the cargo deadlines, paperwork, and border requirements so that everything is ready when it needs to move.

Port Elizabeth (PE) may look like an option when you are trying to avoid Durban’s delays but getting the container from PE to your premises can be difficult and expensive, depending on where it needs to go and whether transport is available. It could work for some shipments, although we need to compare the full cost and realistic delivery date before deciding whether the change will actually help.

Agri & Transport Summary

Cape Town prepares for a larger fruit export season

Cape Town Container Terminal is preparing for the 2026/27 deciduous fruit export season, which is expected to run from November to April with export volumes 13% higher than last season. The terminal is introducing stricter cargo readiness and vessel planning measures to protect the cold chain and prevent congestion as volumes increase. At least 95% of planned refrigerated containers will need to be delivered before stack closure so that vessels can begin loading on time. CTCT will operate against a fixed weekly vessel schedule supported by a 21-day berthing plan. Shipping lines should receive at least seven days’ notice of changes to allocated berthing slots.

For exporters, the important point is that cargo readiness now matters as much as space on a vessel. A booking will not help if the reefer is delivered late, the stack has closed or the sailing changes after the cargo plan has been finalised. The terminal will monitor cargo delivery performance daily and use a formal process for exceptional late cargo. CTCT has added 28 rubber tyred gantry cranes and four straddle carriers to support the season. It is also recruiting fixed term staff and managing leave to maintain continuity over the festive period.

What to monitor: Confirmed vessel window, stack opening and closure, cold store release, reefer delivery appointment, terminal acceptance and loaded on board confirmation.

The AGOA review story will work well as this week’s In Focus article because it affects market access and export planning beyond one commodity.

What to monitor: PhytClean registration, orchard eligibility, carton labels, pallet records, phytosanitary documents, cold store planning, and confirmed export vessel windows.

Logistics & Trade Headlines

• DGT recovery is expected to take time. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says Durban Gateway Terminal may return to its former operating performance between December 2026 and February 2027. More than R2 billion has been committed over three years for equipment, infrastructure, and terminal improvements, although cargo owners still need to plan around the current backlog.
• Beitbridge crossing time reached 53 hours. Average truck crossing time increased 51% during the week to 25 October. Operators were advised to allow an additional two days at the border, even though road travel itself remained comparatively stable.
• Temporary fuel levy relief starts on 4 November. The diesel levy will reduce by R3 a litre until 1 December before a lower level of relief applies until 5 January. It may ease some future road freight pressure, although transporters will still be carrying higher fuel and operating costs from recent months.
• Airfreight demand is growing while airline costs rise. Global air cargo demand increased 7.7% year on year in September while capacity grew 2.7%. African airlines recorded 4.7% demand growth despite a reduction in capacity, which could keep pressure on available uplift and airfreight costs.
• The AGOA decision remains important for export planning. South Africa was awaiting the outcome of the United States review of its 2027 AGOA eligibility on 2 November. Exporters should not assume a trade policy announcement changes an existing shipment without checking the tariff treatment with the United States importer and customs broker.

What to monitor: Confirmed berth windows at Durban and Richards Bay, progress on the ITAC consultation, firm buyer orders rather than enquiries, Saldanha project commitments and developments affecting access to the US market.

Let’s Learn, Does Preferential Market Access Apply Automatically?

A trade agreement or preference programme can reduce or remove import duty, although it does not apply automatically to every shipment.

The exporter first needs to know the product’s tariff classification and whether it meets the programme’s rules of origin. The United States importer must then claim the correct preference when the goods are entered. A product can be made in South Africa and still fail to qualify if its origin documents are incomplete or if the product does not meet the relevant rule.

AGOA is one example. It provides eligible countries with preferential access to the United States market for qualifying products, yet country eligibility is only one part of the process. The product, origin, paperwork, and United States import entry must also be correct.

Before quoting a buyer, confirm:

• The tariff code and normal United States duty rate
• Whether the product qualifies under the relevant preference
• The origin rule and documents required
• Who will make the claim at import
• The duty and landed cost position if the preference is unavailable

Exporter takeaway: A market access programme can improve the price your product achieves, yet it should not be treated as a substitute for checking origin, documents, and total landed cost.

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NEWS – IN FOCUS

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Port Operations Update:

Port	Indicator
Durban	15 days
Cape Town	5 days
Coega	4 days
Port Elizabeth	1 day

These are port wide planning indicators based on schedule disruption, they are not confirmed waiting times for individual vessels or containers, and they do not confirm berth access, cargo release, terminal availability, or truck appointment availability.

• Durban: The 16-day indicator remains elevated. Obtain a dated vessel position, discharge status, carrier release, and collection plan before giving a customer a delivery date.
• Cape Town: The indicator increased to 11 days as the fruit export season begins. Exporters should confirm stack opening, cold store release, and reefer delivery performance against the vessel plan.
• Coega / Ngqura: The four-day indicator needs contingency where a shipment depends on a connection or a narrow delivery window.
• Port Elizabeth: The one-day indicator is comparatively favourable, although individual vessel and cargo status still needs checking.

Key Highlights from Last Week’s Discussions –  25 October 2026
Source: BUSA, SAAFF and global logistics data

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Port Operations

South African container terminals handled 83,464 TEUs, down 8% week on week. Durban Gateway Terminal handled 31,149 TEUs, up 9%, averaging approximately 4,450 TEUs a day.

Key insight: Better DGT throughput helped during the week, yet it was still not enough to clear the accumulated vessel backlog.

Durban landside movement

• The later DGT update recorded 13 vessels at anchorage, waiting times of up to 314 hours and approximately 35,083 outstanding container moves. Stack occupancy increased to 65% and road import containers on hand stood at 2,845.
• Key insight: Terminal activity is improving, although waterside congestion remains the main risk to cargo timing.

Air Cargo

• OR Tambo handled approximately 8,764 tonnes of international air cargo, up 8% week on week. Inbound cargo eased slightly while outbound cargo increased 20%.
• Key insight: Total airfreight performance can conceal different conditions for imports and exports, so capacity should be confirmed by direction and route.

Rail and Inland Movement: 

• Durban ConCor rail movements increased 38% to 1,754 containers.
• Key insight: Higher rail evacuation can reduce reliance on road collection, although it needs to be sustained to make a meaningful difference to the backlog.

Road and Border Crossings:

• Lebombo processed an average of 1,396 heavy vehicles a day, down 2%. Average queue time decreased to approximately five hours and average processing time decreased to approximately 4.2 hours, although a queue of around 15 kilometres was reported on 15 October.
• Key insight: Weekly averages can improve while individual days still experience material disruption.

National Logistics Context

•  The State of Logistics 2026 report noted that rail volumes had recovered from 149.5 million tonnes in 2022/23 to 167.9 million tonnes in 2025/26. The wider priority remains better integration between road, rail, and ports.
• Key insight: Road, rail and ports need to work as one chain. Improvement in one part does not solve a delay created elsewhere.

Global Shipping Context

• Global schedule reliability improved slightly to 50.6% in September, although late vessels still averaged 6.65 days behind schedule. The return of some Far East to Mediterranean services through Suez is adding capacity, while the global vessel orderbook continues to create a risk of oversupply.
• Key insight: The global market is becoming less constrained, yet shipment timing still depends on the route and carrier chosen.

Global Freight Rates – Drewry:

Drewry’s World Container Index declined 3% to US$4,429 per 40ft container on 29 October.

Route	Rate per 40ft	Weekly movement
World Container Index, composite	US$4,429	Down 3%
Shanghai to Rotterdam	US$3,686	Up 1%
Shanghai to Genoa	US$4,151	Stable
Shanghai to Los Angeles	US$7,514	Down 6%
Shanghai to New York	US$9,631	Down 5%

The World Container Index shows direction in the global market. It is not a China to Durban or China to Cape Town quotation. No current South Africa commercial rate sheet has been supplied for this edition, so expired carrier rates should not be reused.

Commercial takeaway: Ask for a current quote that identifies the carrier, route, equipment, validity date, free time, local charges, and surcharges before you confirm the order.

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Final Thoughts

Know What Can Change Before You Commit

The start of the fruit export season and the pressure at Durban show why supply chain planning needs to happen before the cargo reaches the terminal. A vessel booking, a trade preference or a favourable port indicator can help, although none of them guarantees that the shipment will move as planned.

• Operational: Confirm the cargo milestone that matters next, whether it is stack acceptance, vessel loading, discharge, release, or collection.
• Commercial: Check the full landed cost whenever a carrier schedules, duty position or fuel charge changes.
• Planning: Build time into export and import commitments where a missed vessel, border delay or terminal backlog would affect the customer.

A clear shipment position gives you a stronger basis for deciding what to promise and when to act.

Brought to you by First Trade 360™, your partner in logistics and Exporters Western Cape.pe

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