South Africa Can Fix Backlogged Ports in a Year, Minister Says

  • Infrastructure gains will help stability, Ntshavheni says
  • Poor ports, rail, power provision have hurt nation’s economy

In June, a World Bank report ranked Cape Town’s container port as the worst performer among 405 assessed globally, with three others in the nation among the bottom 15.

Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

South Africa’s ports — ranked among the world’s worst — are improving and state-owned operator Transnet SOC Ltd. will fix them within the next 12 to 14 months, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said.

The new multi-party administration that President Cyril Ramaphosa of the African National Congress set up after a May 29 election failed to produce an outright winner, already has a handle on power supply and is keeping a close eye on water-disruption risks, she said.