TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS

TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS (previously known as South African Port Terminals or SAPO) is a division of Transnet Ltd with responsibility of managing a series of cargo handling terminals within the ports of South Africa.

The total of 14 terminals managed by Transnet Port Terminals include the country's four main container terminals situated at Durban (2), Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, three car terminals at Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth (the two at Durban and East London are acknowledged as being world class), and the modern iron ore bulk terminal at Saldanha Bay.

In 2001 Transnet Port Terminals relocated its headquarters from Johannesburg to Durban to be closer to the Durban port, the largest and busiest harbour in southern Africa. Shortly afterwards the various operations at the six commercial ports of Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay were reorganised into the 14 separate terminals, as follows:

Richards Bay
Multi Purpose Terminal
Dry Bulk Terminal

Durban
Durban Container Terminal
Pier 1 Container Terminal
Durban Car Terminal
Multi Purpose Terminal (City Terminals)
Maydon Wharf Multi Purpose Terminal

East London Terminals
(incorporates the Car, Container and Multi Purpose Terminals)

Port Elizabeth
Container Terminal
Multi Purpose Terminal (incorporates the Car Terminal)

Cape Town
Cape Town Container Terminal
Multi Purpose Terminal

Saldanha Bay
Iron Ore Terminal
Multi Purpose Terminal

(see under each terminal for contact details)

The creation of each terminal was directed at ensuring that the company, and as a result the country's ports, are globally competitive. This is being accomplished by attaining sustainable and profitable customer-centric business while improving Transnet Port Teminal's status as a key business partner.

This entailed Transnet Port Terminals moving to a healthy profit base while at the same time re-engineering the business processes to effectively streamline interaction between customers and itself.

A renewal programme including building up the infrastructure, equipment and systems at the terminals to meet customer requirements has been initiated. These projects included the procurement of new straddle carriers, shoreside gantry cranes, reach stackers and other equipment necessary for the efficient handling of cargo. Two state-of-the-art car terminals have been developed at Durban and East London and an electronic communication system known as COSMOS was installed throughout all terminals. The Navis™ SPARCS N4 system has been introduced at the Pier 1 Container Terminal and TPT is poised to introduce the operating system from a central lcoation in Durban across 21 marine and rail terminals by 2010 to offer a single point-of-entry to customers irrespective of where they conduct their businesss in South Africa. SPARCS N4 is designed to provide TPT customers with a seamless and integrated service across the port and rail environment.

An earlier development by TPT was the introduction of a General Cargo Operational System (GCOS) developed internally by Transnet Port Terminals - an advanced system that tracks cargo in the terminal environment and ensures the cargo is loaded onto the right vessel at the right time. GCOS offers instant access to cargo information, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a result of the success of GCOS it is possible to access real time information and on-lin