State-owned terminal operator Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) handled 792 574 fully-built units (FBU) between April 1, 2025, and February 15, this year, which includes new imports, exports and transshipments vehicles, and has exceeded its target for the financial year ending on March 31, 2026.

The three car terminals in the ports of Durban, East London and Gqeberha broke productivity records during the past ten months, driven by increased volumes of FBUs moving on and off car carriers, TPT says.

The introduction of new vehicle distributors, such as Jameel Motors, along with the return of automotive importers, including MG, JMC, TATA and Geely, to the South African market has significantly supported improved performance, it adds.

Locally-based automotive original-equipment manufacturers have also contributed to the positive trajectory, with exports meeting Euro emission standards and boosting international demand.

New models, such as the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid electric and BMW hybrid vehicles introduced in late 2024, begun ramping up production in 2025, thereby strengthening export volumes.

Transshipment activity has also shown notable improvement compared with the previous financial year, says TPT.

Despite strong competition from port terminals along the eastern coast of Africa, transshipment volumes continue to rise, thereby contributing significantly to overall volume growth which further positions TPT’s automotive terminals as a preferred automotive hub.

“We have had to reinvent ourselves for growth as a business. Our initiatives coincided with improved market conditions, lower inflation and interest rates which sparked the demand we have witnessed,” says TPT commercial and planning GM Michelle van Buren Schele.

South Africa’s new-vehicle market delivered a landmark performance in 2025, and recovered to above 2019 pre-pandemic levels, hitting highs not seen in a decade.

This upward swing, which was closely tied to broader economic improvements, was significantly buoyed by a cumulative 150 bps cuts in interest rates since September 2024, record-low vehicle inflation, an influx of affordable model imports, and the liquidity injection from withdrawals under the two-pot retirement system, TPT says.