It was a standout weekend for Team South Africa, not only on sports fields around the globe, but also in major wins for the national economy.

The Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) commended Transnet’s latest performance, which reflects a substantial improvement in volumes throughout South Africa’s key container terminals. The data signals a marked upswing in both capacity and operational readiness.

“This performance underscores the steady progress being made,” says Dr. Jacob van Rensburg, Head of Research and Development at SAAFF.  “It adds to a weekend already filled with national pride.”

According to the last two versions of the BUSA/SAAFF Cargo Movement Update (22 June & 29 June), South African Ports handled over 97 000 and 87 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) respectively for the week, 13% and 2% above target. Moreover, this last weekend again saw daily TEU throughput across major ports surge significantly. “Consolidated performance data shows an average of 16 359 containers handled per day on Saturday and Sunday – up markedly from the previous recent benchmarks. Further encouragement comes from the fact that the load has been shared across the board – including the smaller and multi-purpose terminals not dedicated to containerised cargo – epitomising a team effort,” reports Dr. van Rensburg.

SAAFF CEO Dr. Juanita Maree is encouraged by the momentum: “We are seeing meaningful progress and renewed operational capacity from Transnet. “The hard work across the board by all involved - from TPT personnel to logistics partners – combined with the deployment of new equipment, improved cargo evacuation processes and ongoing terminal refurbishments is clearly traction under this cross-collaborative approach.”

The positive impact is echoed in broader economic signals.  The South African Reserve Bank’s Quarterly Bulletin released on Thursday, reported R11.7 billion in foreign direct investment inflows - a notable increase from the R7.5 billion recorded for the previous quarter. Moreover, SARS on Monday released the latest trade statistics, noting that South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R21.7 billion in May 2025 – further encouraging signs that the economy is picking up some speed after a rather subdued start to the year.

“Continued focus on performance improvement within the national logistics network will go a long way in boosting global investor confidence in South Africa’s markets,” adds Dr. Maree.