The City of Cape Town has celebrated the inclusion of the Port of Cape Town (PoCT) in government’s Request For Information (RFI) process to test private sector appetite for partnerships on ports and freight rail lines.
It was initially unclear whether the PoCT would be included in the RFI as state-owned port and rail authority Transnet in January said it would only open up the ports of Durban, Richards Bay, and Ngqura for private sector participation.
This led to Hill-Lewis urgently calling on Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to add the PoCT to the list given that the port was rated as one of the least efficient in the world.
A sigh of relief
Cape Town authorities breathed a sigh of relief when the PoCT was included in the final RFI.
“The City has been making this case to national government for some time, and I am grateful to Minister Barbara Creecy for following through on her commitment,” said Hill-Lewis.
“This is a positive step towards enabling the level of infrastructure investment and expertise needed to co-run the port successfully.”
The City highlighted that there is huge potential for job creation and economic growth if PoCT can established as a regional shipment hub of choice.
When the port is unable to operate sufficiently, exporters are forced to divert their goods to other ports in Durban, Gqeberha, and elsewhere at huge costs to them and the City of Cape Town.
Research from the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism indicates that private sector participation at the shipping hub could result in an additional R6 billion in exports, the creation of approximately 20,000 jobs, and over R1.6 billion in additional tax revenues within five years.
“We are encouraged by government’s short deadline of August 2025 to enter into the formal procurement phase for private partners, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s involvement in setting up the coordinating unit to get private partnerships done,” said Hill-Lewis.
“We must make sure these timelines are not delayed.”
The City will be closely monitoring the RFI process in hopes that it will lead to the full-scale joint running of the Port with private partners, as well as a major infrastructure investment boost.
“The private sector has the services and the expertise and have shown they are willing to assist as much as possible,” concluded Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos.
“The City stands ready as a partner to expedite any infrastructure investment within our local government purview.”
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