Public Enterprises Minister, Lynne Brown, says the Port of Ngqura has managed to create over 800 permanent jobs in the Eastern Cape.

Brown was speaking at the Ngqura Container Terminal’s 5th anniversary and expansion programme milestone earlier this week.

Berths 3 and 4 at the Ngqura Container Terminal were opened on Monday, marking a significant step in Transnet’s drive to expand capacity at the port.

Transnet’s investment included the deepening to 16 metres of the container terminal’s two additional berths and purchase of port equipment, including two mega max ship-to shore-cranes, 18 rubber tyred gantries, 48 haulers and 48 bathtub trailers. The investments take the terminal’s container handling capacity from 800 TEUs to 1.5 million TEUs per annum.

“The port’s capability to accommodate the new generation of cellular container ships shows the business responsiveness that is so greatly required to give the country a competitive edge and stay ahead of market requirements,” Brown noted.

Transnet is developing Ngqura as a major trans-shipment hub linking ports in the East, West and Southern Africa with their trading partners.