This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.
The two Nelson Mandela Bay ports, Ngqura and Port Elizabeth, handled 1.719 million tonnes of cargo in June, according to Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) figures.
This was 400 000 tonnes more than Cape Town. In the same month last year, the two ports collectively handled a total of exactly 1.7 million tonnes.
Container volumes at Ngqura were substantially down in June - 60 559 twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers compared with 86 118 in May which was the highest figure in the history of the port.
Ngqura also handled more containers than Cape Town in May, a trend that was reversed last month. In June last year, the port handled 48 363 TEUs.
Overall cargo volumes were also down at Ngqura to 823 000 tonnes compared with 1.164 million tonnes in May, but substantially up from the 653 999 tonnes handled in June last year.
Port Elizabeth handled 896 000 tonnes last month compared to 1.071 million tonnes in May and 1.047 million tonnes in June last year.
The number of TEUs handled at Port Elizabeth in June at 24 161 was down on the May figure of 26 473 TEUs and the 29 800 that were handled in June last month.
East London handled a total of 180 000 tonnes of cargo last month compared with 120 000 in May and 154 000 tones in June last year.
The total number of TEUs handled at the port, however, were down. Last month the port handled 4 139 TEUs as against 5 117 in May and 4 613 in June last year.
Nationally, the eight commercial ports operated by TNPA handled just over 21 million tonnes of cargo in June, just under 800 000 less than in May.
(Source: Metrominute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)
