Cape Town Port Expansion: 340,000 TEU Capacity Surge Reshapes African Trade
Anchored to Transnet National Ports Authority February 2026 Operational Data
The completion of the R14.2 billion berth deepening programme at the Port of Cape Town marks a transformative moment for South Africa's western seaboard logistics infrastructure. The expansion, delivered by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in partnership with international dredging consortium Van Oord-Jan De Nul, has increased the port's annual container handling capacity by 340,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), bringing total capacity to 1.2 million TEU. As reported by PR Africa, this positions Cape Town as the most capable deep-water port on Africa's Atlantic coast.
The deepened berths now accommodate New Panamax vessels with draughts of up to 16.5 metres, enabling direct calls from the world's largest container lines without the costly transhipment via Algeciras or Tangier Med that previously characterised the Europe-Southern Africa route. Maersk, MSC, and CMA CGM have all confirmed new direct service rotations through Cape Town commencing Q2 2026, with combined weekly capacity of approximately 28,000 TEU.
The economic multiplier effect is substantial. The Cape Town Chamber of Commerce estimates that each additional TEU handled generates R4,200 in direct economic activity within the metropolitan area. At full utilisation of the new capacity, this translates to R1.43 billion in annual economic stimulus, supporting an estimated 8,500 direct and indirect employment positions across the port logistics value chain. The City of Cape Town's Integrated Development Plan identifies the port precinct as the primary catalyst for the Foreshore redevelopment programme, which aims to transform 12 hectares of underutilised industrial land into a mixed-use maritime innovation district.
The port expansion also addresses a critical vulnerability in South Africa's export infrastructure. With the Durban port operating at 98% capacity and facing chronic congestion, Cape Town's expanded facility provides essential redundancy for the national logistics network. The Western Cape's agricultural export sector, valued at R62 billion annually, is the immediate beneficiary — with cold-chain transit times to European markets reduced by an average of 36 hours through the elimination of transhipment delays.