Maputo Port moves record cargo volumes - a blueprint for public-private partnerships at SA's ports?

The Port of Maputo in Mozambique handled a record amount of cargo in 2025 with volumes reaching a total of 32 million tons, a 3.4% increase compared to the previous year.

Rail volumes, a central pillar of the port's sustainability strategy, increased by 17% year-on-year to 11.7 million tons.

The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) hailed a year marked by "historic growth, capacity expansion, and continued investment in Mozambique’s logistics system".

What lessons does this continued growth hold for South Africa, where some of our major ports are showing signs of improvement after being rated among the worst performing in the world?

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Stephen Grootes interviews Unathi Sonti, Executive Chairperson of the Maritime Business Chamber (MBC), and asks if some of these volumes being handled by Maputo came their way because of the problems experienced in our own ports and rail sector over the past few years?

Sonti concurs that these local challenges have benefited Maputo Port. He also highlights the accompanying benefits of the private public partnership involved in the MPDC, which is managed by Portus Indico (led by logistics company Grindrod) in partnership with the Mozambican Railway Company.

He says they are hoping this level of efficiency can be reached in Durban, where Transnet has signed a 25-year deal with global terminal operator ICTSI to run the port's strategic Pier 2 container terminal.

"Improvement will also still depend on things like existing infrastructure and commissioning new equipment. Remember also that there is still use of local port handlers - if the attitude is still the same in terms of turnaround time and other challenges, then we still may be faced with the same problems even though we've now got a private operator."

Nonetheless, Sonti is optimistic about the future in light of the decisions taken that have enabled this kind of public-private partnership at our ports.

He emphasizes that South Africa has to take the ocean or "blue" economy very seriously, which entails collaboration between the national port authority and maritime authority.

Scroll up to the audio player to hear more from the Maritime Business Chamber's Executive Chairperson