TPT to Upgrade South Africa Terminals

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is reportedly planning to invest close to USD 2.94 billion in its Western Cape’s Saldanha and Cape Town port terminals, as part of the 7-year, USD 26.8 billion infrastructure upgrade programme for South Africa’s terminals, The Independent Online reports.

Apart from the Western Cape’s terminals, TPT plans to refurbish its terminals in Durban, Richards Bay in Kwa-Zulu Natal, East London, Port Elizabeth and the Ngqura Container Terminal in the Eastern Cape, according to South Africa-based online news site.

The budget will be directed towards buying of equipment, upgrading and reconfiguring the facilities, as well as the staff training.

“This (the project) will take TPT’s overall container terminal capacity from its current 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 7 million TEUs by 2019,” said Karl Socikwa, TPT chief executive.

“This will be underpinned by a significant growth in volumes and revenues, as well as an accountable and highly skilled workforce. MDS initiatives, currently under way and supported by TPT, will make South Africa a more profitable and efficient logistics hub, and in turn will contribute to South Africa’s socio-economic development though skills development and job creation.”