Carriers including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have introduced Durban-bound congestion surcharges ranging from US$250 to US$600 per box, as Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) works through a backlog that has stretched average vessel waiting times to 8.3 days — more than 8x the government's 24-hour target.

South Africa's Transport Minister Barbara Creecy toured the terminal on October 2 alongside Transnet Group COO Solly Letsoalo, DGT CEO Javier Lancha and CCO Grant Bahlmann, following the August migration to Navis N4 that disrupted vessel calls, landside cargo flows and truck bookings. DGT handles almost half of South Africa's containerised freight.

"We are not going to get there immediately," Creecy said at a press conference after the tour, referring to the 24-hour benchmark. Some vessels have waited as long as 12 days at the berth since the disruption began.

What does the 8.3-day queue mean for shippers?

The headline figure masks a sharper commercial impact: containers spending more time inside the terminal yard, higher storage and demurrage exposure for cargo owners, and hauliers absorbing the friction of cancelled bookings.

DGT, ICTSI and Transnet have agreed on a recovery plan covering workforce retraining on the Navis N4 system, equipment refurbishment, revised yard management and changes to truck and cargo-flow processes. According to Transnet, the new yard configuration and system upgrades have already driven a 54% reduction in the time import containers spend inside the terminal yard.

The terminal has also committed R737 million in near-term investment and R1.2 billion over the next two years for equipment reliability and infrastructure upgrades.

Why are carriers adding Durban surcharges?

Both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have imposed Durban-specific charges despite the wider backdrop of a 21% over-performance against targets between January and June — a run that deteriorated sharply in July and August.

• Maersk: US$250/20ft, US$500/40ft from Far East, Indian subcontinent and Middle East to Durban
• Hapag-Lloyd: US$300/20ft, US$600/40ft congestion surcharge to Durban
• Maersk demurrage-free window at DGT extended from 3 to 5 days from October 1

The South African Freight and Logistics Association (SAFLA), the Road Freight Association (RFA) and Positive Freight Solutions (PFS) have separately called for storage, demurrage and detention relief on delays linked to the terminal migration. DGT said on September 28 it has held storage charges at zero since early August 2026 and is pressing shipping lines for reciprocal demurrage relief.

What is the commercial outlook for Durban?

DGT operates under a 25-year concession granted to ICTSI at end-2025, with Transnet retaining a majority stake in the joint venture. The structure places operational accountability squarely with ICTSI while leaving Transnet exposed politically.

Creecy framed the stakes bluntly: "The performance of this terminal has a direct impact on the health and competitiveness of our economy, as well as on importers, exporters, manufacturers and agricultural producers."

She urged ICTSI to tighten customer communications and announced structured engagements with shippers, forwarders and hauliers covering truck bookings, cargo movements and terminal performance. "The true measure of success will be when customers themselves report tangible improvements in service levels and predictability," Creecy said.

Whether the 8.3-day vessel queue compresses toward the 24-hour target will depend on DGT's execution of the yard, equipment and IT remediation plan over the next two quarters, with carriers and cargo owners watching the next two import cycles as the first credible benchmark of recovery.