Transnet Port Terminals achieves record growth in automotive division, performance boost at Gqeberha, East London and Durban terminals
The Port of East London's automotive terminal. Transnet Port Terminals said its automotive segment has seen a significant increase in its vehicle imports and exports.
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Transnet Port Terminals’ (TPT) automotive segment is on track for one of its strongest years yet, recording a 17 percent year-on-year increase in imported and exported vehicles just eight months into the 2025/2026 financial year.
With four months remaining before year-end in March, the terminals have already exceeded their year-to-date volume target by 15.5 percent as of November, TPT said in a statement.
TPT attributes the performance to a combination of operational efficiencies, digitalisation, and rising activity across global automotive supply chains. The operator reports improved turnaround times, expanded digital management of parking bays, and a higher number of fully built units (FBU) moving through its terminals.
The surge has driven a series of new performance milestones. Over the past eight months, TPT has broken six volume and productivity records across its three car terminals in Gqeberha, East London, and Durban.
- In April, the East London Car Terminal reached a loading rate of 252 units per hour, far outperforming its target of 180 units per hour.
- In August, TPT’s automotive division posted its second-highest weekly throughput on record, handling 30 008 FBU in a single week.
- By the end of September, the Durban Car Terminal had handled 67 446 FBU above target, representing a 25 percent mid-year increase, alongside productivity gains of 10 percent in Durban and 17 percent in East London.
- November saw Durban achieve its best monthly performance to date, processing 78 551 FBU and beating its target by 83 percent, an indication that the terminal may again surpass its 520 000-unit capacity by the end of March 2026.
Michelle van Buren Schele, TPT’s General Manager of Commercial and Planning, said the momentum in the automotive sector extends beyond Transnet’s internal improvements.
“Beyond Transnet Port Terminals’ efforts in growing volumes and offering an efficient service, there are many activities underway in the automotive sector, including new vehicle exports and the return of some automotive manufacturers like TATA and Geely to the South African market,” she said.
Van Buren Schele also pointed to the impact of national policy measures.
“The implementation of the South African Automotive Master Plan 2025 also contributed to the initiatives underway as it seeks to grow vehicle production to 1% of global output (1.4 million vehicles), increase local content to 60%, and double employment to 224 000 employees,” she noted. The plan also emphasises transformation in the country’s component-manufacturing ecosystem.