South Africa has 25 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database and serves as a strategic maritime gateway between the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Southern African regional markets.
Use port codes to identify locations for freight planning, routing and documentation. The indexed coverage count is separate from national port-network totals and published container rankings.
South Africa’s commercial maritime system supports containerised cargo, bulk commodities, vehicles, breakbulk and coastal distribution. Port performance varies by terminal, carrier schedule and operating period, so published statistics should be checked against the relevant annual reporting cycle.
How many seaports does South Africa have?
South Africa has 25 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in its October 2026 database snapshot. This is an indexed-coverage figure, not a claim about every national maritime facility.
Which ports are represented in the supplied indexed sample?
The supplied sample includes Jamestown (SHSHN), Georgetown Sh (SHASI), Jamestown in Saint Helena (SHJAM), Rupert's Bay (SHRPT) and Tristan Da Cunha (SHTDC). These records should be validated before operational booking.
Which areas drive South Africa’s main freight flows?
The principal commercial freight corridors generally connect the Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura and Richards Bay port systems with Gauteng, the mining belt and Southern African hinterlands. The supplied sample records are geographically distinct from those major South African cargo gateways.
The table below uses only the five supplied records. They do not provide a reliable ranked proxy for South Africa’s main commercial container ports; consequently, no public 2025 league-table figures are assigned to these records.
Supplied indexed sample · 2025 throughput data not publicly matched to these records
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Jamestown | SHSHN | — | — | Saint Helena |
| — | Georgetown Sh | SHASI | — | — | Ascension Island |
| — | Jamestown | SHJAM | — | — | Saint Helena |
| — | Rupert's Bay | SHRPT | — | — | Saint Helena |
| — | Tristan Da Cunha | SHTDC | — | — | Tristan da Cunha |
The regional groupings below reflect the location fields supplied with the indexed records. Empty province fields are shown as not available rather than inferred.
The supplied sample contains two records named Jamestown associated with Saint Helena. They should be distinguished by their UN/LOCODE values during data validation.
Saint Helena indexed records
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | SHSHN | Jamestown / Not available | General supply and local maritime access |
| Jamestown | SHJAM | Saint Helena / Not available | General supply and local maritime access |
| Rupert's Bay | SHRPT | Rupert's Bay / Not available | Local landing and supply operations |
Georgetown Sh is supplied as a separate indexed record. Its location metadata should be checked against the source port directory before use in a shipping instruction.
Ascension Island indexed record
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Sh | SHASI | Georgetown Sh / Not available | Local supply and maritime service access |
Tristan Da Cunha is represented by one supplied record. It is not a substitute for the principal South African commercial port clusters used in container and bulk trade analysis.
Tristan Da Cunha indexed record
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Da Cunha | SHTDC | Tristan Da Cunha / Not available | Island supply and local maritime access |
A South African UN/LOCODE normally begins with the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 prefix ZA and is followed by a three-character location identifier. The supplied records use SH prefixes, so they should not be assumed to be South African codes without validation.
A city or port-area code may identify a broader location, while a terminal or facility code can support more precise operational planning. Carrier booking systems may apply additional terminal, depot or facility identifiers.
Check the code against the UNECE UN/LOCODE list and compare it with the latest Ecer Freight port directory before preparing a bill of lading or booking request.
South Africa’s major commercial gateways generally connect Southern African exporters and importers with Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and regional African markets. Transit times are indicative and subject to carrier rotation, transshipment and port conditions.
Regular deep-sea services typically carry fruit, wine, minerals, manufactured goods and consumer cargo to Northern and Mediterranean Europe.
Asia-bound services support mineral exports, agricultural products, machinery, electronics and containerised imports, often with direct or transshipment options.
The lane serves food products, chemicals, machinery, project cargo and general merchandise moving between Southern Africa and Gulf markets.
Regional services link South African distribution centres with East, West and Southern African markets, with schedules commonly subject to feeder and transshipment arrangements.
South Africa has 25 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the October 2026 database snapshot. This indexed figure should not be confused with the number of commercial facilities or port terminals recognised by a national authority.
Durban is generally recognised as South Africa’s leading container gateway, while Richards Bay is important for bulk exports and Cape Town and Ngqura serve major container, automotive and regional cargo flows. The supplied indexed sample does not include those commercial gateway records.
A valid South African UN/LOCODE normally uses the ZA country prefix followed by three location characters. Codes should be checked against UNECE and the current port directory because the supplied sample contains SH-prefixed records.
Key commercial areas include the KwaZulu-Natal corridor around Durban and Richards Bay, the Western Cape around Cape Town, the Eastern Cape around Ngqura and the industrial and mining hinterlands connected by road and rail.
The Ecer Freight indexed count is a snapshot for October 2026. Throughput references use the most recent complete reporting year available, generally 2025, and operational schedules remain subject to carrier and terminal confirmation.
Yes. FCL and LCL rate requests can be prepared with the origin, destination, cargo description, dimensions, weight, equipment type and preferred shipping dates. Current rates depend on routing, surcharges, space and sailing schedules.
Ecer Freight’s 25-record count measures database coverage. Public port rankings measure cargo or container throughput using a different port boundary, terminal and reporting methodology, so the two figures must not be combined.
Editorial note: This guide combines Ecer Freight’s first-party port index with public port-authority, Transnet, national-statistics and UNECE references. The indexed database is reviewed periodically, while throughput and operational information is refreshed against the latest complete annual reporting cycle and should be confirmed before shipment execution.
Ecer Freight · Seaports in South Africa: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026) · Data reviewed quarterly · Port Codes · Ports by Country · Contact
