The Port of Cape Town has come in for some heavy criticism because of operational downtime due to strong wind, with industry stakeholders asking whether Transnet has the necessary skills and insights to match sporadic squalls and sustained gusting.
The criticism comes at a time when internal maritime intelligence platform, Kpler, stated in its most recent industry report that Cape Town Container Terminal CTCT was severely hamstrung by low productivity and high levels of vessel-dwelling at berth and at anchorage.
Compared with peer ports battling similar conditions Punta Arenas, Wellington, Houston, Felixstowe and Dover CTCT was not getting on top of its biggest adversary, the notorious Cape Doctor, a south-easter that often blows at speeds of 90 kilometres an hour and more.