Onward and upward: refurbishment of Cape Town’s port

Cape Town has South Africa’s second-busiest container port, after Durban. The Port of Cape Town handles a range of commodities, from fresh fruit and fish to petroleum products and steel. Cruise ships, oil tankers and fishing vessels all call in here from time to time, and the port is a hive of activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

An upgrade project to the container terminal was started in January; the project, expected to cost around R4.2-billion, is due for completion at the end of 2012 and will nearly double the capacity of the terminal. Part of the project involves deepening the Ben Schoeman Basin from 10m to 15.5m; in addition to this, new cranes are being installed, old buildings are being demolished, and modern specialised equipment is being brought in. All of this refurbishment means that bigger vessels will be able to enter the port, which should be yet another boost to Cape Town's economy.