What is the CPPI and why it matters
The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) is an annual study published jointly by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence. It measures how quickly container ships are turned around — specifically, the time a vessel spends at berth from arrival to departure relative to how long it should take given its size and the cargo it is handling. It is the closest thing to an objective, globally comparable measure of port efficiency.
The 2024 edition (released 23 September 2025) covered 403 ports across all major shipping routes. Durban appeared at position 403 — last place. This was a deterioration from 399th in the 2023 edition (which covered 405 ports). Cape Town ranked 400th and Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha 395th. Coega/Ngqura ranked 402nd — second-last overall. Every major South African container port sits in the bottom 10 of a 403-port global ranking.
The structural causes of Durban's poor performance
The CPPI ranking is a symptom. The underlying causes are well-documented and long-running:
Chronic infrastructure underinvestment. Durban's container terminal equipment — cranes, rubber-tyred gantries, yard tractors — is ageing. Breakdowns disrupt operations frequently. Planned capital expenditure has been repeatedly deferred. In February 2026 reports indicated approximately 145,000 containers queued at Durban, with dozens of vessels sitting at anchorage waiting for berths.
Transnet's financial constraints. Transnet, the state-owned operator of South African ports and rail, has carried high debt levels that limit new investment. Creditor negotiations and restructuring have delayed equipment procurement and terminal expansion plans.
Labour disruptions. The port has experienced periodic strike action and go-slows that have dramatically reduced throughput on short notice.
Channel and berth constraints. Durban's harbour channel depth limits the size of fully laden vessels that can call. Some mega-vessels are excluded entirely or must reduce their load factor, affecting schedule reliability for all shippers on those services.
Anchorage congestion. When the terminal cannot absorb vessels at berth fast enough, ships anchor in Durban Bay and the surrounding anchorage. February 2026 data showed dozens of vessels anchored simultaneously — meaning the nominal vessel ETA bears little relation to the actual berth date, making delivery planning extremely difficult.
How the ranking translates into rand-and-cent costs
The CPPI measures vessel turnaround time — but the importer's cost driver is container dwell time, which is closely related. A slow-processing terminal means:
| Effect of poor port performance | Importer cost driver |
|---|---|
| Vessels anchor for days before berthing | ETA uncertainty makes pre-clearance and transport scheduling harder; last-minute adjustments cost money |
| Slow discharge operations once berthed | Container availability date pushed out; free-day countdown starts later but with less time to act |
| Congested yard — containers hard to locate and extract | TPT storage accumulates; clearing agents quote longer lead times; truck slot availability worsens |
| Schedule unreliability on all carrier services via Durban | Production line disruptions; emergency airfreight; expediting costs; customer service failures |
| Carriers add port surcharges for Durban congestion | Higher per-unit freight costs on Durban-routed shipments vs Cape Town or Port Elizabeth alternatives |
| TPT free days reduced to 3 calendar days (effective 1 April 2025) | Less buffer to absorb terminal processing delays before storage charges start accruing |
Is Cape Town a better option?
Cape Town ranked 400th — not good, but marginally better than Durban's last place. Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha ranked 395th. For cargo destined for Cape Town or the Western Cape, Cape Town is the natural choice regardless of ranking. For cargo destined for Johannesburg, Pretoria, or the inland provinces, the question is more complex.
Routing via Cape Town to Johannesburg adds approximately 1,500 km by road, which typically means R6,000–R10,000 additional transport per container depending on weight and size. This needs to be weighed against demurrage savings, freight rate differentials, and reliability gains at Cape Town. For high-value, time-sensitive cargo the maths increasingly favours Cape Town. For bulk or lower-value cargo where freight rate is dominant, Durban may still be preferable despite the operational challenges.
Six practical mitigations for importers right now
You cannot fix the port. You can change how you operate around it.
1. Build longer lead times into purchase orders. If your supplier is quoting "28 days to Durban," budget 35–42 days in your planning system to account for anchorage waiting time and terminal processing delays. Do not plan production starts or stock reorder points against nominal ETAs.
2. Hold more safety stock. A poorly performing port means more supply variability. The conventional lean-inventory logic assumes reliable port performance. If your port is the world's worst, the carrying cost of extra safety stock may be far lower than the cost of stockouts or emergency airfreight.
3. Pre-clear as a standard process, not an exception. Given the 3-day TPT free period, pre-clearance is not a nice-to-have — it is the only way to consistently avoid storage charges. Require your clearing agent to lodge every entry pre-arrival as default, and track compliance.
4. Negotiate extended carrier free days as a standard contract term. Work with your freight forwarder to build a master agreement with your primary carriers that includes extended demurrage free days — at least 10–14 days at Durban — to absorb the typical vessel anchoring and terminal processing delay before charges start.
5. Diversify port of entry where feasible. Review your supplier base and product mix. For suppliers that ship via the Far East or Indian Ocean routes, Durban may be the only practical option. But for European or US-origin goods, or for suppliers with flexibility in routing, Cape Town or Port Elizabeth may be viable alternatives for some product lines.
6. Factor port costs into supplier pricing negotiations. If your supply chain runs exclusively through Durban, you are effectively paying a "Durban tax" on every shipment in the form of demurrage, storage, and expediting costs. This is a quantifiable operational cost — document it and use it in supplier price negotiations or when evaluating dual-sourcing options.
Will it get better?
There are structural reform efforts underway. The South African government has introduced private sector participation in terminal operations as part of broader Transnet reform — the Durban Pier 2 terminal is central to these plans. If private operators bring capital and operational efficiency, throughput could improve meaningfully over a 3–5 year horizon.
However, the history of port reform in South Africa has been one of delayed timelines and contested processes. The CPPI has tracked South African ports deteriorating, not improving, over consecutive editions. Until there is measurable improvement in vessel turnaround times reflected in future CPPI editions, SA importers should plan their supply chains around the reality of poor port performance — not the promise of future improvement.
Turn Durban uncertainty into managed risk
Real-View SCM gives you live vessel tracking, anchorage waiting times, and free-day countdowns across all your active Durban shipments — so congestion is visible before it becomes a bill.
Explore Real-View SCM →Frequently asked questions
What does the World Bank CPPI actually measure?
The CPPI measures the time a container vessel spends at berth, comparing actual time against a modelled expected time based on the vessel's size and port's throughput. Ports are ranked from fastest to slowest. A port near the top turns ships around quickly — the vessel arrives, loads and discharges efficiently, and departs. A port at the bottom has long vessel dwell times. The 2024 CPPI covered 403 ports; Durban was ranked last.
How does Durban's ranking affect freight rates?
Carriers factor port call efficiency into their cost structures. A slow port means a vessel spends more time in port and less time carrying cargo — reducing the effective capacity on that service. Carriers typically respond with congestion surcharges (also called Port Congestion Surcharges or PCS) and may reduce service frequency to Durban. For SA importers this means higher per-unit freight costs and potentially fewer weekly vessel departures to choose from.
Which SA port performs best?
Of the four major South African container ports in the CPPI 2024, Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha ranked highest at 395th, followed by Cape Town at 400th, Ngqura/Coega at 402nd, and Durban at 403rd. All four are in the bottom tier globally. Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha handles lower volumes and is the primary gateway for automotive exports rather than general imports, so its higher ranking does not make it a practical alternative for most import supply chains.
Should I switch all my imports to Cape Town?
Not necessarily. Cape Town is significantly better than Durban on reliability for Western Cape-destined cargo, but the additional inland transport cost to Johannesburg (R6,000–R10,000+ per container) often outweighs the demurrage savings for Gauteng-destined goods. Do the analysis for your specific trade lane, cargo value, and demurrage experience. For time-sensitive, high-value cargo the calculation may favour Cape Town; for lower-value goods Durban's shorter inland haul wins on total cost despite the demurrage risk.
Is Durban likely to improve in the next CPPI edition?
This is difficult to predict. South African port reform has a history of delays. The trajectory in recent CPPI editions has been downward for SA ports. Any material improvement would require successful private sector participation in terminal operations, capital investment in equipment, and sustained operational improvements — none of which have yet been demonstrated at scale. Plan conservatively.
Related guides
Sources: World Bank / S&P Global Container Port Performance Index 2024 (released 23 September 2025); Maersk advisory 28 February 2025; Transnet Port Terminals; industry reports on Durban anchorage congestion, February 2026. This guide provides general information — rates and port performance change; verify current conditions with your freight forwarder. Last updated June 2026.