Durban Port Congestion Forces Manufacturers to Switch to Air Freight

Severe operational challenges at Durban Gateway Terminal have created a critical bottleneck affecting South African manufacturers across multiple sectors. Vessels anchored for over a month, production stoppages, and limited cargo throughput are forcing companies to absorb escalating costs through air freight adoption and margin erosion. The terminal's transition to a new operating system in early 2026 created initial disruptions that have persisted despite acknowledged improvements, leaving stakeholders facing approximately 18 additional days of supply chain delay while the facility works through a queue that could take a month to clear even at elevated throughput rates. This situation represents a structural challenge for South Africa's trade competitiveness and manufacturing base during a period of already constrained logistics capacity.

The operational crisis at DGT illustrates broader vulnerabilities in relying on a single major gateway for container volumes, particularly when that facility undergoes significant system transitions. The discrepancy between reported vessel counts (11 versus 8), gate move performance below targets (2,219 versus 3,000+), and consistent two-hour truck wait times indicate measurement and execution gaps that undermine stakeholder confidence and complicate decision-making. Companies are responding rationally by diversifying risk through alternative ports, air freight, and local sourcing, but these adaptations carry substantial cost penalties that threaten South African export competitiveness. DGT's announced R2 billion capital investment programme over three years, including new straddle carriers and hybrid rubber-tyred gantry systems, signals recognition of the problem but offers limited near-term relief.

Supply chain professionals must prepare for sustained elevated costs and lead times, implement contingency sourcing strategies, and monitor DGT recovery metrics closely to identify when normal operations resume. The situation underscores the importance of supply chain flexibility and diversification in managing port-specific risks.