Durban Ships Waiting 251 Hours. Plan for a Longer Lead Time

Ships calling at Durban's main container terminal are waiting longer, not shorter.

The Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) Cargo Movement Update No. 303, distributed by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), is dated 11 October 2026 and covers the week of 5 to 11 October, with its DGT vessel position updated to 15 October. It says 11 vessels were still at anchorage at Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) as at 15 October. Average delays were about 251 hours at anchorage and 127 hours alongside. That is more than ten days at anchor before a ship gets a berth.

Worse Than September

On 25 September 2026, Engineering News, citing the SAAFF Cargo Movement Report for the week of 14 to 20 September, reported average anchorage time at DGT of about 214 hours, with 10 vessels at anchorage in the latest daily position.

So the queue is about the same size, but the average wait has grown by roughly 37 hours since then, on our own arithmetic from the two SAAFF figures.

Throughput is improving, which is the confusing part. Update No. 303 says DGT handled about 4,734 TEUs a day in the week of 5 to 11 October, up 6% week on week. SAAFF's own reading is blunt: "stabilisation from a depressed base should not be confused with recovery."

The Backlog in Numbers

All from SAAFF/BUSA Cargo Movement Update No. 303 (dated 11 October 2026; week of 5 to 11 October, with DGT positions updated to 15 October):

• On 14 October, DGT's own assessment put about 30,352 container moves waiting at anchorage, equal to 11.3 days of quayside work.
• About 10,000 containers are expected to be discharged via Pier 1/Point instead. SAAFF notes this redistributes pressure across Durban rather than removing it.
• In the latest daily report, gate performance fell to 2,111 moves and road imports on hand rose to 3,559 containers.

Africa Ports & Ships, summarising the same update on 15 October, adds that the total queue of vessels waiting outside Durban, across container, dry-bulk, liquid-bulk and breakbulk, rose to 36.

The Landside Is Slow Too

The waterside queue is only half of it.

The National reported on 13 October 2026 that, according to KZN Customs Clearing and Forwarding, difficulties getting truck slots through DGT's Navis N4 system mean containers can be held at the terminal for three to eight days. The same body said a truck should normally turn around in one to two hours from arrival to exit.

For hauliers, standing time is money. OrePulse reported on 12 October 2026 that the Road Freight Association (RFA) says the delays are costing heavy-vehicle operators between R5,000 and R7,000 a day. The RFA wants clear planning of available capacity, guaranteed booking slots and automatic grace periods when road blockages, weather or terminal breakdowns disrupt deliveries.

DGT told The National it is in a recovery phase, that operations have stabilised and that Navis N4 is now stable. It plans to replace its truck appointment system with a digital platform called Navigate, with roll-out details still to come. OrePulse reports that DGT waived storage charges after the Transport Minister visited the terminal on 3 October.

What Importers and Exporters Can Do

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Check your own contracts and talk to your forwarder.

1. Rebuild your lead times around where the vessel actually is, not the scheduled ETA. Ask your forwarder for the vessel's real position. Is it at anchorage, and where is it in the queue? SAAFF publishes regular Cargo Movement Updates.
2. Ask your shipping line about free time and demurrage. OrePulse reported that DGT waived terminal storage charges after the Minister's visit on 3 October; check with your forwarder whether that still applies. Shipping-line demurrage and detention are separate. Ask in writing.
3. Check your haulage terms for standing time. With truck slots hard to get, find out what your transporter charges for waiting and whether your quote includes it.
4. Look at routing options with your forwarder. Some cargo is already being moved via Pier 1/Point. Whether another terminal or port suits your cargo depends on your line, cargo and final destination.
5. Exporters: confirm stack dates and cut-offs with your line before trucking boxes to the port, so containers don't sit waiting for a delayed vessel.
6. Check your cargo insurance and sale contract for delay. Know which party carries the cost of a late arrival under your Incoterms and policy before a claim arises.

Watch for the next SAAFF/BUSA Cargo Movement Update. The test is simple: is the anchorage wait falling, not just throughput rising?