KwaZulu-Natal Business 2016-17 edition

PROFILE
industrial hub and Port City, thanks to the efforts of
key role-players over the past four decades.
Today the Port of Richards Bay is South African’s largest
Port in terms of volumes, importing and exporting
more than 60% of South Africa’s seaborne cargo, having
achieved almost 100-million tons in 2015/16, with
a turnover in excess of R1-billion. It is also the largest
Port in South Africa in terms of size, covering an area of
3 773 hectares – a large portion of which is still undeveloped,
providing great potential for future growth.
Initially established to export 26-million tons of coal
over the first 10 years, the Port has diversified its operations
to handle other cargoes and provides a worldclass
service to ensure clients can compete locally,
nationally and internationally, playing a key role in
shaping South Africa’s future growth and prosperity.
Coal, however, remains the single largest commodity
in terms of volumes and is the second-largest foreign
exchange earner for the South African economy
after gold.
The Port currently hosts six licensed cargohandling
terminals:
• Dry Bulk Terminal, operated by Transnet Port
Terminals – handles a large variety of ores, minerals
and woodchips
• Break Bulk Terminal, also operated by Transnet
Port Terminals – handles a diversity of loose bulk
and break bulk cargoes, as well as heavy lifts and
abnormal loads
• Richards Bay Coal Terminal – with the capacity to
export 91-million tons per annum
• Bulk liquid terminal, operated by Bidvest Tank
Terminals – handles a wide range of bulk liquids
• Richards Bay Bunker Terminal, operated by Engen –
imports bunker fuel from Durban and Cape Town.
Bunkering is also carried out by a bunker barge
operating in the Port
37 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2016/17