Andre Klynsmith

Ports and Terminals

Durban Reclaims the Sea: The 22-Hectare Bet to Push South Africa's Gateway Past 11 Million TEU

Transnet National Ports Authority has applied to reclaim about 22.4 hectares of land from Durban Bay to build a new container terminal, part of a long-range plan to lift South Africa's busiest port from its current throughput toward a target of 10 to 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) a year.

Ports and Terminals

11 August 2026 • 5 min read

Durban handles the majority of South Africa's containerised trade, and much of the cargo bound for landlocked SADC markets passes through it. A plan to reclaim land and add a new terminal signals where the region's most important container gateway is heading over the next decade.

What Transnet Has Applied For

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has submitted an application to South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment seeking pre-approval to reclaim roughly 22.4 hectares of land from Durban Bay. The reclamation would require an estimated four million cubic metres of infill material and forms the physical foundation for a new container terminal in the Point precinct, designed to accommodate around 1.8 million TEU per year.

The Point terminal is one component of a broader ambition to raise the port's total container capacity to between 10 and 11 million TEU annually. For an operation that has struggled with equipment shortages, vessel queues and reliability complaints in recent years, the application marks a shift from crisis management toward long-term capacity building.

Why It Matters Beyond South Africa

Durban is not only a South African asset. Cargo destined for Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo frequently routes through it, then moves inland by road and rail. When Durban slows, the delay ripples up every corridor into the SADC interior. Added capacity, in principle, means shorter vessel waits and more predictable inland dispatch.

It also matters because the plan is a multi-year construction programme, not an overnight fix. Environmental approval, dredging, infill and terminal build-out unfold over years. In the meantime, shippers still face the port Durban is today, not the one it hopes to become.

The Diversification Question

Durban's expansion is happening alongside competing gateways positioning for the same regional cargo. Walvis Bay in Namibia, with roughly 750,000 TEU of container capacity and throughput still well below that ceiling, continues to market itself as an alternative route into the SADC interior via the Trans-Kalahari and Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi corridors. Beira and other east-coast ports court the same landlocked demand.

For operators, the takeaway is not that one port will win, but that the region is building more than one credible route. The next decade is likely to reward shippers who keep more than one gateway on the table rather than defaulting to a single lane.

About the Author
	Andre Klynsmith Entrepreneur & Technology Enthusiast Andre's expertise spans technology, blockchain, transport, and logistics -- with a passion for innovation and driving positive change across industries. info@laaimylorrie.com | laaimylorrie.com