Terminal at Cape Town Port Exceeds Expectations with 62% Superior Performance Over Target
The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has made history by operating 62% above target for the week ended July 20, 2025, marking a significant milestone in its resurgence in the 2025/2026 financial year.
This record-breaking performance is a testament to the terminal's focus on operational excellence, strategic investments, and empowering its employees. The CTCT's leadership has implemented effective operational strategies that have optimised container handling productivity and throughput, surpassing set targets substantially.
One of the key factors contributing to this outstanding performance is the investment in modern handling equipment. The arrival and planned deployment of additional Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) have expanded the terminal's container-handling capacity. Eleven new RTG cranes are scheduled for deployment in September 2025 to support the peak export season.
The CTCT has also demonstrated sustained improvement in container moves, reinforcing an upward performance trend in 2025 compared with previous years. This turnaround was initially met with skepticism due to older data references, but the terminal has consistently exceeded expectations since April 2025, closing the first quarter 32% above its targeted volumes.
The terminal's improved performance in June 2025 also showcases what is possible through strategic focus, investment, and empowered leadership. During this month, the CTCT handled a record 19,931 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a significant increase from the same period the previous year. This achievement underscores the terminal's critical role in supporting South Africa's export economy.
Terminal Manager, Noxolo Thabatha, stated that the CTCT is in a much better position than it was last year. Despite challenges such as equipment reliability and weather, the focus at CTCT is on maximising resources and empowering employees to deliver.
The CTCT's performance in June 2025 is a demonstration of progress within Transnet Port Terminals (TPT). It reinforces the terminal's position as a beacon of progress within TPT and sets a new benchmark for excellence in terminal operations. As the terminal continues to recover and grow, it is poised to sustain and build on this performance.
- The CTCT's robust growth in productivity and throughput, as evident in the 62% surpassing of targets, is indicative of the effectiveness of strategic investments in infrastructure, such as the new Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs), in the automotive industry and transport sector.
- Against the backdrop of the 2025/2026 financial year, the economy stands to benefit significantly from the enhanced efficiency and competitiveness of the CTCT, which is underpinned by a strong leadership focused on operational excellence and empowering its workforce.
- The continuous improvement in container moves at the CTCT, as observed in the 2025 performance, suggests a positive shift towards increased productivity in the industry, potentially leading to further advancements in finance and energy sectors.
- With the CTCT setting a new benchmark for terminal operations, it is expected that other businesses in the TPT network will follow in adopting similar strategies that focus on resource maximization, investment in modern infrastructure, and empowered leadership, driving overall growth and development.
