The Port of Durban - Durban - South Africa

The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year.

The Port of Durban in Durban, South Africa is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, handling 2,568,124 TEU in 2012.

Port statistics
Durban is the busiest port in South Africa and generates more than 60% of revenue.
It is the second largest container port in Africa (after Port Said in Egypt).
It is the fourth largest container port in Southern Hemisphere. (First is Jakarta in Indonesia, second is Surabaya in Indonesia, third is Santos in Brazil).
The distance around the port is 21 kilometres (13 miles).
Rail tracks total 302 kilometres (188 miles).
The port has 58 berths which are operated by more than 20 terminal operators.
Over 4500 commercial vessels call at the port each year.
Harbour entrance depth[edit]
The entrance channel had a depth of 12.8 metres (42 ft) from Chart Datum, and a width of 122 metres (400 ft) between the caissons. The port has recently been widened. The harbor entrance depth is now 19 metres in the approach channel decreasing to 16 metres within the harbour. The new navigation width is 220 metres.

Port facilitie
Berths
The maximum permissible draft listed for the berths serves as a guide for the planning of vessels. The following is a tahththble of drafts as updated 7 June 2000. The Port Captain should be advised timeously to arrange fresh soundings. If a vessel is loaded to maximum, the Port Captain should be consulted for safety.

Pier No. 1 Berth
Pier No. 2 Berth
Point and T-Jetty Berth
Cross Berth
Island View
Bluff Berth
Bayhead Berth
Maydon Wharf Berth

Port operations
Durban Car Terminal is a modern, World class facility. It opened in 1998, with a capacity of 60,000 vehicles a year. In 2004 a 100-million-Rand expansion brought the number of bays to 6,500. This included a 380m bridge linking the terminal to the quayside, improving vessel turnaround time and improving security.

Berths lengths & draught
The terminal facilities comprise a 366-metre (1,201 ft) quay with a depth alongside of 10.9 metres (36 ft). This dedicated berth (Q/R) is able to accommodate the largest deep-sea car carriers.

Storage & stacking
The quay is backed by 8.5 hectares (21 acres) of surface storage with logistical road and rail access, vehicle inspection facilities and administrative block, with a state of the art cargo tracking system, CCTV surveillance monitoring, all surrounded by floodlit security fencing. The new three storey car park with bridge linking quayside to terminal, increases the capacity to 6 631 bays, increasing throughput capacity from 60,000 to 120,000 units a year.

Terminal working hour
Normal hours: Monday to Friday 06:00 to 14:00, 14:00 to 22:00. Dependent on ship working and exigencies of the service, the port can operate 24hrs and over weekends. The terminal is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.