Promoting performance to avoid expensive rerouting

Port of Cape Town must support agricultural exports

SOUTH AFRICA: The Western Cape Government has called on the Port of Cape Town to avoid the significant rerouting of agricultural exports that were forced to ship out of ports in the Eastern Cape during last year’s season.

An estimated 55,000 tonnes of table grapes were rerouted last year with additional impacts felt by the pome and stone fruit industries, including apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries.

Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, has emphasised that the rerouting of agricultural exports to Eastern Cape ports should be avoided during the upcoming 2025/26 export season, with a renewed and urgent focus on improving efficiency at the Port of Cape Town.

This follows recent insights indicating that significant volumes of agricultural produce had to be diverted due to operational challenges at the Port of Cape Town during the previous peak export period.

Minister Meyer said such rerouting places severe financial strain on producers and exporters due to increased logistics and transport costs.

“A non-performing Port of Cape Town places a direct and unsustainable financial burden on our producers. Every delay and diversion erodes farm profitability, threatens export competitiveness, and places jobs at risk across the agricultural value chain.”

“The Western Cape’s export economy depends on a well-functioning Port of Cape Town. We cannot allow a repeat of the costly diversion of produce to other provinces. Our focus must be clear: improve efficiency, reliability, and coordination at the Port of Cape Town.”

The Department of Agriculture has been actively engaging with Transnet and key industry stakeholders to address the operational shortcomings that led to delays and backlogs.

These engagements have prioritised:

◼︎ Improving equipment reliability and infrastructure performance;

◼︎ Strengthening labour and operational management;

◼︎ Enhancing communication between stakeholders; and

◼︎ Implementing contingency planning to prevent future disruptions.

In addition, organised agricultural bodies, including Hortgro, the South African Table Grape Industry and the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, have raised concerns about the cost implications of rerouting and called for urgent corrective measures.

Minister Meyer stressed that all stakeholders must now align behind a single goal.

“Every available resource and intervention must be directed at restoring optimal performance at the Port of Cape Town. The competitiveness of our agricultural exports and the sustainability of our farming communities depend on it.”

“Our Growth for Jobs Strategy requires an efficient, high-performing Port of Cape Town. Without a reliable port, we cannot unlock the export growth and job creation that our province urgently needs. We also need to accelerate greater private sector participation in the operation and management of the Port of Cape Town to unlock efficiency gains, investment, and world-class performance.”

The department continues to support farmers, particularly emerging producers, through programmes such as the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), the provision of production-input funding and extension services to improve planning and resilience to disruptions.

However, Minister Meyer warned that support measures alone cannot offset systemic logistics failures.

PHOTO: An estimated 55,000 tonnes of table grapes were rerouted to ports in the Eastern Cape during last year’s export season.

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