The port is in emergency, with delays up to 20 days and many ships jumping to the port.

The Port of Durban, South Africa's largest container gateway, has encountered serious congestion again recently. Industry data shows that some ships at the DGT terminal have been delayed for about 10 days, and some shipping companies have issued delay warnings to customers for up to about 20 days. Although the terminal confirmed on August 26 that the NAVIS N4 system had been successfully implemented and remained stable, the backlog formed during the system switchover had not yet been fully digested, and equipment availability continued to restrict the recovery progress. The current problems faced by Durban Port have evolved from a single system switch to a situation where multiple links such as equipment, storage yards, landside transportation and ship operations are under simultaneous pressure.

As of August 25, congestion has further intensified. According to a report by The Loadstar that day, ship delays at DGT Terminal have reached about 10 days, with Pier 2 operations being significantly restricted, and some route services experiencing even longer delays. Some shipping companies have issued warnings to customers of delays of up to 20 days. A local freight forwarder told The Loadstar that some containers that were unloaded on August 11 were still stranded at the terminal on August 25. Reports pointed out that although the terminal has extended some free storage times, the speed of cargo distribution is still greatly restricted.

In terms of ship data, Portcast shows that from August 16 to 22, the median waiting time for ships at Durban Port was approximately 3.29 days, and the congestion level was rated as "high". This data is not inconsistent with the 10 to 20-day delay reported by the industry. It reflects the waiting situation in different links and different calibers. At present, the core problem of Durban Port is not limited to "ships waiting for berths", but also extends to multiple links such as restricted terminal operations, stranded containers and difficulties in picking up boxes on the landside.

The congestion at Durban Port did not suddenly appear in August. On August 7, Freight News reported that due to continued delays in DGT, Maersk and CMA CGM had canceled two eastbound calls originally scheduled to Port Louis, Mauritius. In order to ensure the subsequent planned shipping schedule in Tanjong Pelepas, the relevant ships were unable to maintain the original berthing window in Port Louis due to delays in Durban. The cargo originally scheduled to be loaded from Durban to Port Louis was therefore transferred via Tanjong Pelepas. Previously, another CMA CGM vessel also canceled related calls due to DGT equipment failure and delays.

This shows that the congestion at the Port of Durban has begun to affect the network arrangements of shipping companies. If the subsequent backlog continues to expand, it cannot be ruled out that more liner companies will reduce the impact on the entire route network by jumping ports, canceling calls, adjusting transit ports, or rescheduling shipping schedules. For cargo owners and freight forwarders, the impact of such adjustments is not limited to the shipping schedule itself, but may also be transmitted to transit time, container pick-up arrangements, empty container turnover and destination delivery plans.

This round of crisis is caused by the combined effect of multiple factors. The direct trigger was the upgrade of Gateway Terminal's NAVIS N4 system, during which landside operations were suspended. After resumption, the system was not running smoothly, and the backlog problem was further aggravated. Efficiency data shows that the terminal handled only 25,800 TEU from August 10 to 16, a decrease of approximately 26% from the previous week. The South African Freight Forwarders Association pointed out that the terminal is in a "crisis" state, with equipment restrictions, excessive yard pressure and coordination failures in all links as the underlying reasons.

DGT Chief Operating Officer Grant Bahlmann stated in a letter to customers on August 26 that the NAVIS system has been successfully implemented and remains stable, but the backlog formed after the system switch has not been completely cleared, and it will still take some time to resume normal cargo flow.

Companies that have recently shipped goods to Durban Port are advised to focus on the following matters: first, re-verify the latest ETA and actual berthing arrangements of the shipping company; second, confirm whether the cargo can be booked in time after unloading; third, pay attention to whether the free storage, detention and related fee policies have been adjusted due to this round of congestion; fourth, for goods with high timeliness requirements, evaluate in advance the alternatives of port change, transshipment or inland transportation.