The Port of Durban is arguably the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, handling over 60% of South Africa’s container traffic.
By Blue Africa News
Durban’s standing as Southern Africa’s leading port city and maritime gateway received a significant boost in May 2026, following the launch of the Durban Shipping Chamber (DSC).
The new body will bring together stakeholders from the shipping, logistics, port operations, and marine service sectors to foster collaboration, promote industry growth, and strengthen policy alignment across South Africa’s maritime industry.
Durban Shipping Chamber is an initiative of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), a non-profit company (NPC) being touted as a strategic initiative aligned to South Africa’s comprehensive maritime transport policy, and designed to strengthen Durban’s position as Africa’s premier port city and maritime gateway.
“As the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC, we are excited about the launch of the Durban Shipping Chamber which I am confident will serve as a catalyst for growth within the sector,” said Palesa Phili, DCCI Chief Executive Officer during the launch in mid-May.
“Further details about upcoming meetings will be shared in due course through our DCCI database, and I strongly encourage all relevant stakeholders to participate and make a difference because together, we can make a lasting impact.”
The Port of Durban is arguably the largest, busiest, and most crucial shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa located on the east coast of South Africa. It handles over 60% of South Africa’s container traffic and processes more than 30 million tons of cargo annually.
However, the World Bank has severally ranked the port as the worst efficient, a downward trend affecting the majority of the ports in South Africa.
In 2024, Durban was ranked 403rd out of 403 ports, making it the lowest-performing port in the performance index, as a result of only 52% of a vessel’s time in port being spent productively at the berth, with the remaining 48% being spent waiting at anchor or on arrival operations.
The Ngqura Port was ranked 402nd while Port Elizabeth harbour was ranked 395th out of 403, despite Transnet, South African rail, port and pipeline company over the years, showing progress in turning around the delays and inefficiencies at ports.
Currently, the Durban Port Forum provides a platform for operational issue resolution. The Durban Shipping Chamber now comes in handy to fill the void of a private sector-driven, commercially oriented structure that focuses on business development, investment attraction, and maritime sector competitiveness.
DSC is expected to support Short and Medium Enterprises (SME) participation in the maritime economy by reducing friction across the logistics value chain, creating greater stickiness within international supply chains, and unlocking Durban’s full potential as a globally competitive trade and maritime hub.
“As the voice of business, we believe that this structure elevates the Durban Shipping Chamber into a leadership position within the maritime economy, expanding influence beyond port operations to the broader shipping value chain. This new structure aims to act as a unified private-sector maritime voice and drive deal-flow and attract maritime sector investment,” added Phili.
The Durban Shipping Chamber complements eThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC) and South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (SAASOA), by serving as a dedicated platform where commercial opportunities are advanced and industry growth is driven.
Durban became perhaps the first African port with a shipping chamber. Across Africa, there are national shipping chambers acting as key drivers for industry advocacy.
The Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Ghana Chamber of Shipping and the Maritime Business Chamber in South Africa are some of the renowned shipping bodies across the continent.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News