Port of Cape Town by CMB Media Group

PORT OF CAPE TOWN

Investment to Position Port

Among SA’s Finest PRODUCTION: Karl Pietersen

Investment into new and existing infrastructure at the Port of Cape Town will see it grow and become a one stop shop for all types of vessel travelling around the southern African coast. Everything from liquid bulk, ship repair and tourism through to ship building, container cargo and human capital is getting attention, and Port Manager Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana is optimistic about what the future holds.

In October 2017, Transnet Port Terminals CEO Nozipho Sithole told Enterprise Africa that she was ‘buoyant’ about the future. “Everybody around me is energetic and keen. When I hear our customers tell us that we are now delivering the world class services that they would expect from port terminals, it is an exciting time.” She said that the SOC was at the forefront of the country’s ‘Operation

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Phakisa’ and is actively investing in programmes to revitalise South Africa’s port infrastructure.. 18-months on, and in Cape Town specifically, this focus is ongoing. The Port of Cape Town is perfectly situated at the continent’s southern tip, providing the ideal stopping point for all ships moving between Europe and the western hemisphere and the Middle East and Australia -

especially container vessels. The port is home to ship repair, bunkering, cargo, storage, and marine services, but Port Manager, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana is keen to continue upgrading, refurbishing and improving so that the Port of Cape Town is recognised internationally for excellence. Ship repair in particular is important as the port looks to offer a full turn key solution for clients.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: LOGISTICS

ONE STOP SHOP “For Transnet National Ports Authority, ship repair is a very important feature for South Africa so we started looking at how we can position South Africa as a globally competitive country for ship repair,” she tells Enterprise Africa. “We are already doing ship building in South Africa, we are already doing ship repair in South Africa, so we started looking at whether there is a possibility for us to participate in the market of green ship recycling, and what is the concept really about – is there a possibility that we can host it in our ports around the country.” In September, Dweba-Kwetana was part of a Transnet NPA team present at Cape Town ICC hosting guests to discuss the requirements of port users in the region. The meeting found that the Port of Cape Town has three critical sectors which require ongoing focus - liquid bulk, ship repair and tourism. Nozipho Mdawe, Acting Chief Exec at TNPA stated that investment would be made at Cape Town to ensure efficiency.

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R950 million will be invested to boost ship repair at the port with the aim of modernising its ageing facilities including the 130-year-old Robinson Dry Dock, the 70-year-old Repair Pier and Sturrock Dry Dock, and the 45-year-old Syncrolift. Detailed studies aimed at creating additional container capacity through the Cape Town Container Terminal reconfiguration project, which would increase the terminal’s capacity to 1.4m TEU per annum, are being pursued. “In the next two to three years, you will see a lot of bunkering activity and you will see a lot of ship repair facilities being refurbished and readied,” explains Dweba-Kwetana. “We are looking at infrastructure across all of our docks and we are doing refurbishment and replacement across these facilities so they are able to position us as a ship repair port of choice. We are also focussing more on developing customer added value. We are doing so by ensuring we retain the customers that we have and attracting new customers to call into our waters. It’s very important that we improve our

// IN TERMS OF OUR VALUE PROPOSITION, WE ARE POSITIONING OURSELVES AS A ONE STOP SHOP // operational efficiencies and it is very critical that our infrastructure is in good, efficient running order. We are also focussing more on delivering our capital projects on time.” The Port of Cape Town is also going through a Craft Replacement Strategy where it hopes to replace two work boats and two tug boats before the end of 2020. On the tourism side, much progress has been achieved. “Our partnership with the V&A Waterfront for the development of a Cruise Terminal facility at E Berth has created a world-class facility akin to the Property Development facility of the V&A. This project is now at Phase three of its development. We invite industry in Cape Town to engage the V&A in this regard,” Mdawe said.

PORT OF CAPE TOWN

GREEN SHIP RECYCLING Another extremely exciting development comes in the form of a potential Green Ship Recycling centre which would help to position the South African port system as environmentally conscious. The Port of Cape Town is currently undertaking a study to evaluate the attributes of hosting a green ship recycling centre. “This study will be used by ports all over the country and we will see which port will be suited to green ship recycling. We are pursuing green ship recycling because we are geographically positioned to successfully tap into the market,” says Dweba-Kwetana. Globally, shipping is one of the most polluting of all industries and any effort to reduce waste from activity is openly welcomed. When a ship reaches the end of its life, often it will end up in a ship graveyard, rotting until it can be scuttled, deep-sea sunk, or broken down. Green ship recycling involves reusing parts of a ship that might otherwise be wasted, ensuring the isolation of those parts of the ship which are harmful and dangerous to both marine and human lives, conserving beaches and marine ecosystem by proper discarding of ship breaking waste, and creating new revenues from traditionally worthless materials. This practice is becoming increasingly popular around the world as human impact on the environment, both land and sea, is increasingly under the spotlight. The main waste product from shipbreaking is steel and aluminium, which can be reused in bars, rods, and other industrial applications. For ships coming to the end of their life, there is currently few recycling options around the southern African coast, and the Port of Cape Town recognises this gap in the market. “In terms of our value proposition, we are positioning ourselves as a one stop shop. It is our intention that when ships call into the Port of Cape Town, they are able to get repairs, they can

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: LOGISTICS

get bunkers alongside and reduce time unloading and loading cargo, they can have hull cleaning, and they can access a host of other services,” says Dweba-Kwetana. HUMAN CAPITAL All of this investment and improvement cannot be successful without effective human capital to push the Transnet and Port of Cape Town mantra. In September, a new Maritime Training Centre was opened for TNPA at the Port of Cape Town to develop skills and employability of youths from disadvantaged backgrounds, readying them for careers with Transnet. Part of Operation Phakisa, the training centre provides a vast range of courses and also helps upskill TNPA employees. “Our human capital is vital,” says Dweba-Kwetana. “If you want to improve efficiencies, you can have state-of-the-art infrastructure but if you don’t not invest in your human capital then

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you are in trouble. That is why we are focussing more on creating employee value by capacitating them, ensuring they are able to service the customer to the best of their ability. We are also ensuring we improve health and safety and improve our relationships with local stakeholders and local companies. “As an agency of the state we have a responsibility to contribute positively to the economy of the country by providing proper skills development programmes, training artisans and developing engineers to ensure the sustainability of our ports and to stimulate growth of the maritime economy. These skills will ensure that young people can participate meaningfully in the economic development of the country.” “We are aggressively looking to ensure we satisfy our customers and supply them with an integrated service offering so when they call into the Port of Cape Town, they can get everything they require from a port,” she says.

ANTARCTIC CENTRE Helping to focus international attention on the Port of Cape Town, at the end of 2018 the Department of Environmental Affairs announced plans to build an Antarctic Centre on site. Many countries send research and exploration vessels to Antarctica and often the last stop point is the Port of Cape Town. There is a specific season in the year (Nov-Mar) when these missions are achievable thanks to perfect weather conditions. In December, the SA Agulhas II departed the Port of Cape Town on an annual Antarctic relief voyage. Many countries hold interest in Antarctica, and the hope is that the port’s new Antarctic centre can help build bridges with other nations. Germany, Norway, Russia, Belgium, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland all travel to Antarctica for research purposes. “The Port of Cape Town, and Cape Town in general, is being used by most countries when they take on expeditions in Antarctica. Last year, as a port and as Transnet, we were

PORT OF CAPE TOWN

Mpumi Dweba-Ketanna

approached by the Department of Environmental Affairs to help to launch the season – the time when there is daylight and the continent is not in 24/7 darkness. As a part of that we wanted to indicate to the world that Transnet and the DEA are planning to establish an Antarctic base. I know there are countries that are prepared to have their offices here in South Africa and the centre will be used to bring Antarctica to Cape Town. People that call into the Port know that we recently entered into a concession with the V&A Waterfront so that they can build, manage, own and operate a cruise terminal at the Port of Cape Town. By its nature, that positions the Port as a recreation and tourism hub. Part of the activities to complement the V&A Waterfront and the cruise terminal will be the Antarctic Centre. The plans from the DEA and us is to bring awareness from people in the Western Cape, particularly Cape Town, so that they are aware of the centre and the activities that are taking place here. We want to bring in schools and establish a research centre so that

global researchers can make a base in Cape Town. We are also planning to build offices for other counties that use the Port of Cape Town as their departure port before visiting Antarctica,” details Dweba-Kwetana. DEA Director General Nosipho Ngcaba said: “The centre will accommodate the Antarctic Logistics Network, which will be a virtual network of members that provide advice, assistance and referrals as businesses that understand polar conditions. This will provide a single point of contact for all Antarctica related business enquiries, offering clients effortless connections to private businesses, educational institutions, research bodies and government agencies.” This investment feeds into the country-wide Operation Phakisa strategy, set out by government to unlock the economic potential of the country’s oceans in order to create economic growth and job opportunities through fast-tracked development. In the future, more investment looks likely at the Port of Cape Town

after further studies were approved to discover the potential for construction of a desalination plant. Initial suggestions indicate that the Quay 700 area of the port could become home to a 1-3 million litres per day sea water reverse osmosis plant. Currently, the port is appointing consultants to understand the viability of the project with the aim of introducing the system by the end of 2020. After emerging from one of the worst droughts in living memory, Cape Town would undoubtedly welcome another solution to the water issue in the region. All of the work underway at the Port of Cape Town is a great example of how Transnet is working to ensure that the port is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of an ever-evolving shipping sector and helping to develop the Western Cape into a ship repair, marine industry, sea tourism leader.

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