Crisis at Cape Town port ‘will ultimately cost consumers’
Fruit farmers and exporters are reportedly considering legal action against Transnet National Ports Authority amid a four-year-long battle to move produce through the container terminal at the Port of Cape Town.
According to reports, shipping delays at the port cost the industry an estimated R2.5 billion in the 2021/2022 financial year.
The table grape industry alone reportedly lost about R2 billion in the 2022/2023.
Chief Economist at Econometrix Azar Jammine says the blockage at the Cape Town port will have ultimately hit consumers in the pocket.
"Without a doubt, there will be a negative effect on South African consumers from this kind of blockage from the Cape Town port.
"Essentially, it has created a shortage of products that go into producing goods and a shortage of products that are available for sale, that are imported.
"If we do not get the private sector to help solve the problem, it’s going to be with us for an indefinite period of time.
Meanwhile, the DA wants Transnet to appear before the Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism, to provide feedback on the struggles at the Port of Cape Town during the table grape and stone fruit export season.
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