Bidfreight Port Operations (BPO) has opened a new multipurpose terminal at the Port of Port Elizabeth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
The terminal is based around the port’s upgraded sheds 10 and 11. In a statement, parastatal transport authority Transnet said the sheds had been “transformed into state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring vital volume growth of multipurpose cargo passing through the Port of Port Elizabeth”.
Bidfreight secured the terminal operating licence from Transnet National Ports Authority under a competitive tender. Transnet said that BPO’s bid had emphasised job creation, training workers from rural areas, and empowering local black empowerment businesses. BPO itself is a level 2 registered black empowerment enterprise.
The company already has stevedoring, agency clearing, freight forwarding and warehousing operations across all eight of Transnet’s ports. Its operations cover containers, vehicles and bulk cargo, such as grain, fertilisers, steel and ferrochrome, while it operates container handling facilities at Maydon Wharf in the Port of Durban.
The allocation of terminal operating licences to private-sector companies has been controversial in South Africa, with the powerful trade union movement fearful that it could be the start of privatisation in the industry. However, the process is bringing additional investment into the country’s ports, including lower profile ports.
It had been feared that Port Elizabeth would struggle because of the growth of the neighbouring, modern Port of Ngqura, which lies just 20 km away. However, while Ngqura has become the main container port in the province, drawing business away from Port Elizabeth, the latter has had some success in carving out a niche for itself. Turnover at the car terminal has increased on the back of South Africa’s growing automotive industry, with 12,043 vehicles exported in August, a monthly record.
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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the December 2019 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 7. To access this issue download the PDF here
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