Port of Saldanha to Support Freight Growth

Western Cape Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku recently conducted a strategic oversight visit to the Port of Saldanha, reaffirming the port’s central role in enabling freight mobility, industrial growth, and economic resilience across the province.

As Africa’s largest natural deep-water port, Saldanha remains an indispensable logistics hub, supporting mineral exports, maritime services, and the broader Western Cape economy.

The visit brought together provincial officials, Transnet representatives, and key stakeholders to assess current operations, review progress on infrastructure programmes, and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration to improve freight efficiency.

Discussions centered on the port’s role in strengthening export competitiveness, its importance to regional manufacturing and beneficiation, and its contribution to job creation within coastal and inland communities.

A key focus of the engagement was the integration of Saldanha into the evolving national freight reform landscape. In 2025, the National Department of Transport launched an extensive Request for Information (RFI) process aimed at enabling private sector participation in critical rail and port corridors, including the Northern Cape-Saldanha Bulk Minerals Corridor, which handles significant manganese and iron ore export volumes. The RFI attracted 51 formal submissions specifically for the iron ore and manganese corridor, reflecting strong market interest in improving the efficiency and competitiveness of this route.

During the visit, officials noted that the Port of Saldanha is currently providing provisional support for the berthing of cruise line ships. In the 2024/25 tourism season, the port successfully accommodated three cruise liners as part of an interim arrangement designed to gauge long term interest and demand. These temporary measures will help inform the scale and nature of the upgrades required to fully prepare the berths for future cruise tourism activities. The information collected is now being assessed to shape forthcoming private-sector participation projects that will influence the long‑term future of corridors feeding into the Port of Saldanha.

Minister Sileku said, “the Northern Cape-Saldanha corridor is critical to the Western Cape’s economy, supporting exports, jobs and regional growth. When rail works better, ports work better. Faster turnaround means less congestion and a stronger, more competitive economy”.

Improving the corridor will also reduce pressure on road networks, supporting safer and more efficient freight movement. Minister Sileku added that “close cooperation between government and industry is essential to strengthening port operations, growing industrial activity, and unlocking new investment and employment opportunities”. The Western Cape Government remains committed to supporting national freight reforms and ensuring the province is ready to benefit from future investment linked to the RFI process.

The oversight visit concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening the Western Cape’s freight logistics ecosystem, ensuring that the Port of Saldanha continues to serve as a world‑class gateway for regional and international trade.