MCom: An analysis of factors influencing port selection in South Africa

South Africa - 21 November 2017

This study provides a comparative analysis of the selection of seaports for containerised cargo in Southern Africa, with a special focus on South Africa. Ever since Jan van Riebeeck set foot on South African soil in the 17th century and a port was established in Cape Town, the country has become an important stopover for traders. In modern times, the number of major South African ports now stands at eight. Some of these ports operate with specific functions in mind (for example, containerised cargo is handled in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth; mineral bulk cargo is handled in Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth; and breakbulk cargo is handled in Durban, East London and Cape Town). Therefore, port choice is not simply a matter of choosing from a list of ports in one or more preferred geographical location(s).

As it is situated at the southern-most tip of Africa, South Africa has historically handled a large proportion of the outer supply to the Southern African value chain. With the emergence of various other Southern African ports (notably Dar es Salaam, Beira and Walvis Bay) and subsequently trade corridors, this proportion has consequently diminished over time. Against this backdrop, this study sets out to establish the reasons for selecting one particular port over another within the Southern African region.

2016‒2017 progress:
An equal amount of progress has been made on the literature and empirical fronts. Both literature chapters (Chapters 2 and 3) are near completion. The current focus is on Chapter 4 (descriptive analysis) and Chapter 5 (econometric analysis). Data has been sourced for both chapters. The final chapter (Chapter 6) will be finalised once all the empirical findings in Chapters 4 and 5 are consolidated.

The proposed submission date of the final thesis is October 2017.

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