Se proponen medidas de reforma prácticas para construir un puerto más competitivo.
Opinion Piece written by James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth
Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, has written to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy calling for accelerated reforms at the Port of Cape Town following the latest Container Port Performance Index, which ranked the port last out of 405 container ports globally.
Vos said the ranking reinforced concerns he has been hearing directly from exporters, manufacturers, logistics companies and businesses across the Western Cape about the impact of delays and operational inefficiencies on trade and investment.
“I engage regularly with businesses that are exporting goods and with companies that are feeling the pinch of rising logistics costs and uncertainty,” Vos said. “The message is consistent: improving port performance is one of the most important steps we can take to strengthen economic growth, protect jobs and attract investment.”
Rather than focusing on criticism, Vos’s letter puts forward a series of proposals aimed at building on the reforms already underway. These include greater private sector participation in port operations, improved equipment reliability and maintenance, stronger digital cargo planning systems, increased operational skills capacity, and measures to boost terminal productivity and resilience.
Vos noted that he has been advocating for port reform and the opening of opportunities for private sector participation for a considerable time, arguing that many of the world’s best-performing ports combine public ownership with private expertise, technology and investment.
“This is not about privatisation,” he said. “It is about using every available tool to make our ports more efficient, more reliable and more competitive.”
The letter also links port performance to the City’s broader economic strategy. Vos recently championed a new manufacturing support policy aimed at boosting local production through a range of support measures for manufacturers and industrial businesses.
“Manufacturing is a critical part of Cape Town’s economic output,” Vos said. “We are working hard to help businesses produce more goods, expand factories and create jobs. But if we are serious about growing manufacturing and exports, we also need a port that can move those products to global markets consistently, efficiently and on time. A strong manufacturing sector and an efficient port must work hand in hand.”
Research commissioned by the Western Cape Government found that a more efficient Port of Cape Town could unlock about R6 billion in additional exports, support nearly 20,000 jobs and generate more than R1.6 billion in additional tax revenue.
“The opportunity is enormous,” Vos said. “Every improvement in port performance helps exporters, strengthens investor confidence and creates more opportunities for employment. My goal is to keep working with national government, Transnet and the private sector to unlock the full potential of the Port of Cape Town as a world-class gateway for trade and investment.”
