As previously reported in early October 2022, Transnet Port Terminals (“TPT”), an operating division of Transnet SOC Ltd (“Transnet”), formally declared the occurrence of an event of force majeure to all its customers given the strike action declared by two of its major unions.

On Monday, 31 October 2022 TPT announced that it has lifted the force majeure declared in the container sector, with immediate effect.

On 21 October 2022, it had lifted force majeure in all its automative, bulk and multi-purpose terminals, given that its full labour force had returned to duty.

From 1 November 2022 it is envisaged that all container vessel will be berthed according to TPT’s normal berthing window schedules.

Africa’s PORT & SHIPS reports that on Monday (31 October) there were 53 vessels outside Durban in the outer anchorage of which thirteen (13) were container vessels.

Given the delays experienced in the past weeks it is hoped that any remaining backlog experienced with container vessels will now be resolved and that normal port operations will resume.