Africa's biggest and busiest container terminal, the Durban Container Terminal ranks among the top in the world and recently pioneered a world class rail dual cycle operation on the container planning system Navis.
The terminal has a combined capacity of 3.6 million TEU per annum, which will increase to 4 million TEU after the berth extension. Work is in progress to deepen terminal draft to 16m. Established in July 1977, the Durban Container Terminal operates as two terminals Pier 1 and Pier 2, handling 65% of South Africa’s (SA) container volumes. It is ideally located to serve as a hub for containerized cargo from the Indian Ocean Islands, Middle East, Far East and Australia.
In 2013, DCT pier 2 was declared the Best performing container terminal in Africa - Durban Container Terminal; Container Management top 120 World Container terminal survey 2013. DCT pier 2 also pioneered a World-class rail dual cycle operation on Navis in March 2013, while it serves as a gateway to neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and other landlocked regions like the Kingdoms of Swaziland and Lesotho.
Currently the only terminal in Africa with tandem lift cranes with a carrying capacity of 80 tons at a time, DCT can handle new generation vessels with 24 containers stowed across the deck. Billions have been set aside for the terminal's re-engineering and boosting of existing equipment fleet.
In March 2020 Durban Container Terminal was the
first terminal in TPT to pioneer the Truck Appointment System to ease to
container and truck traffic on Durban roads.