South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) reports that it has not yet received any indication of additional berthing requests from shipping lines in the wake of the US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent strikes on energy and shipping facilities by Iran.

The TNPA also states that it has not observed any immediate increase in demand to enable it to definitively determine the number of vessels that could call on the Port of Cape Town as a result of shipping being diverted to the Cape of Good Hope route.

The focus is currently on the Strait of Hormuz risk, but market observers are also warning of possible diversions from the Suez corridor to the longer and more expensive Cape of Good Hope detour as a result of the conflict in the region.

The TNPA says it remains “open for business to handle the safe transit of diverted vessels on request, subject to available capacity”.

During previous diversions as a result of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, South African ports were unable to take advantage of the re-routing, owing to inefficiencies and equipment failures. This resulted in long waiting times and saw ships using alternatives such as Mauritius and Namibia.

However, TNPA has highlighted that it operates a complementary port system that enables the optimisation of specialised marine services during high-demand periods. This, it says, can include the redeployment of marine resources and fleets, such as tugboats, workboats and pilot boats.

“Should such a need arise as a result of the anticipated vessel diversions, TNPA will continue to monitor the situation and engage with its various industry stakeholders such as shipping lines, terminal operators and relevant maritime authorities to ensure seamless utilisation of available port capacity to respond to any service requests.”

Meanwhile, speaking at the Energy Indaba, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Africa was already experiencing the impact of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with strains on supply chains and higher energy prices.

“As we have seen with Russia-Ukraine and during the Covid-19 pandemic, shifting geopolitical sands underscore the vulnerabilities of import-dependent economies across Africa.

“These vulnerabilities sharpen the case for regional and continental energy security and diversification,” Ramaphosa said.