Rapid growth in air cargo in the Cape

by | Mar 19, 2025

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The third annual Western Cape Air Cargo Conference noted a 25% increase in cargo in the last year, as the Port of Cape Town struggles with perishable goods handling

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The third annual Western Cape Air Cargo Conference, hosted by Cape Town Air Access and powered by Wesgro, celebrated a 25% growth in air cargo trade in 2024 via Cape Town International Airport, with 75,000 tonnes of goods transported. Industry leaders, airlines, cargo operators, and e-commerce businesses discussed trends, collaboration opportunities, and strategies to open new export markets and improve logistics infrastructure. Key points included:

The airport now hosts 217 international flights weekly, boosting connectivity and cargo capacity. Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander emphasized attracting investment, leveraging technology, and strengthening global partnerships. Naspers South Africa CEO Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa highlighted e-commerce as a driver of air cargo growth, stressing the need to connect digital and physical supply chains. The African Growth and Opportunity Act supports Western Cape agricultural exports to the US, aiding job creation.

Cape Town’s air cargo has grown 57% since 2018, with officials like Alderman James Vos and Dr. Ivan Meyer underscoring the need for more flight routes, modern infrastructure, and targeted investment to enhance the region’s role as a global trade hub.

South African ports have faced significant bottlenecks, including equipment shortages, labor strikes, and outdated infrastructure. The 2022 Transnet strike, for example, severely disrupted container handling, with a 58.7% monthly drop in October 2022 and a prolonged recovery period leaving volumes 28% below pre-strike levels by year-end.

This has particularly affected fresh fruit and flowers, as the refrigerated cargo industry has been particularly affected by the inefficiencies. With the Red Sea crisis, additional traffic at our ports have exacerbated the problem, and placed pressure on administrators to get their act together.

But reform has been slow, marginal, and piecemeal, particularly at the Port of Cape Town. Since 2018, efforts to address these issues have included berth deepening and lengthening projects at Durban Container Terminal (DCT), aiming to boost capacity from 2.9 million TEUs to 3.8 million TEUs by 2023. Additionally, investments in new equipment—like over 100 pieces of cargo-handling gear slated for DCT in 2025—signal a push to modernize and increase efficiency. But the Cape has been largely left out of these opportunities for lucrative BEE contracts.

Air cargo has grown as a viable alternative for high-value, perishable, or time-sensitive goods, such as agricultural exports (e.g., fruit, flowers) and e-commerce shipments. The Western Cape, for instance, leverages air freight to maintain competitiveness in global markets, with Cape Town’s 217 weekly international flights in 2024 enhancing belly-freight capacity. The 10% surge in air passengers in 2024 further supports this trend by increasing available cargo space on passenger flights.

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