The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to fast-track ship repair at the Port of Cape Town.
According to a spokesman for the Port Liaison Forum (PLF), an initiative of the Chamber, ship repair offers major economic opportunity to businesses in the Cape.
“The repair and refurbishment of highend yachts in particular is a potentially lucrative industry for Cape Town,” he said. “Also, it has a multiplier of value as it has been found that for every R1bn of repairs a further R5bn in revenue is seen in the area.”
TNPA has identified ship repair at the port as one of its priority areas and possible greater sources of income, but infrastructure at the various dry docks is in dire need of repair. According to the PLF a meeting has been held to discuss the opportunities of an improved ship repair facility at the port.
“Clearly there are very real challenges to developing ship repair but we believe it could add significant economic value to the city,” said the spokesman. The Chamber, he said, would be meeting with the port manager in an effort to promote the idea and to call for ship repair to be fast-tracked. According to a source, significant opportunity is bypassing the Cape at present due to the lack of repair facilities.
“At least 11 vessels have been sent to other ports in recent months after Cape Town was not able to do the repairs due to a lack of infrastructure,” he said. “There was a seal in one of the docks that had to be fixed but the port said the repair at R3 million was too expensive. By my calculations it lost at least R300 million of business due to that decision alone.”
According to TNPA chief operating officer, Nozipho Mdawe, ship building and ship repair have been identified as a strategic competence for both the Port of Cape Town and the Port of Saldanha. She said the authority was investing R950 million to modernise ageing facilities in Cape Town that would boost ship repair.
This included the 130-yearold Robinson Dry Dock, the Repair Pier and the Sturrock Dry Dock. Plans in the long-term included replacing the Robinson Dry Dock floating caisson with a modern, fit-for-purpose caisson structure, said Mdawe.
TNPA is investing R950 million to modernise ageing facilities in Cape Town. – Nozipho Mdawe
