GATEWAY OR WALL

3rd September 2021 By: Darlene Creamer

GATEWAY OR WALL

South Africa’s ports have had a torrid two years: operations were hit hard during the early onset of the Covid-19 pandemic; the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng riots rocked the N3 corridor and the Port of Durban; and Transnet was then hit by a debilitating cyberattack. Even before these events, however, it was becoming clear that inadequate port efficiencies and infrastructure were placing the country’s ‘gateway to Africa’ status at risk. The big question now is whether proposed reforms will be enough to salvage that prized position.