Data through 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026)
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Durban Gateway Terminal backlog follows terminal operating system cutover

Durban Gateway Terminal backlog follows terminal operating system cutover. The disruption ran from 2026-08-15 (15 August 2026), and is ongoing, affecting Durban. Durban averaged 1.4 calls per day during the event window against an expected 1.8 (-0.4). Durban averaged 5.5 calls per day during the event window against an expected 6.7 (-17.9%).

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Key facts

Started
2026-08-15 (15 August 2026)
Ended
Not ended
Status
ongoing
Severity
2 Moderate
Scope
terminal
Chokepoints
None
Ports
Durban
Lanes
None
Countries
South Africa
Confidence
medium: The cutover date and the terminal's own notice are relayed by an industry association, and the throughput and waiting figures come from trade press without a direct terminal statement; the effect in port call counts is small and the backlog is still open.
First reported
2026-08-11 (11 August 2026)
  • Severity basis: Terminal disruption lasting over 72 hours at a major container terminal; portwatch-port-calls for Durban averaged about 5 calls a week from 2026-08-17 against about 6.7 in June and July.

What happened

Durban Gateway Terminal, a container terminal at Durban, South Africa, began working through a growing backlog after it switched to the Navis N4 terminal operating system on 2026-08-15 (15 August 2026). The operator had told users that vessel and landside work would pause for about twelve hours during the cutover and that some delays would follow. Reports from the following two weeks describe queues of trucks waiting up to about 30 hours, ships waiting longer at anchorage, refrigerated export containers spoiling in queues, and a temporary pause on accepting reefer boxes. The operator said the system was stable by 2026-08-27 but that equipment constraints and yard congestion meant a return to normal would take time.

Measured effect

Port calls, Durban

Baseline (expected)
6.7 calls per day
Observed
5.5 calls per day
Change
-1.2 (-17.9%)
Standardised score
-0.5
Event window
2026-08-15 to 2026-09-18 (35 days, provisional)
Baseline window
2026-06-13 to 2026-08-07 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-22 (22 September 2026), data revision 2:1fc9960d2ad9
Port calls, DurbanPort calls, Durban, 2026-06-06 (6 June 2026) to 2026-09-11 (11 September 2026): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2026-07-24 to 17 calls per day on 2026-08-31, with a mean of 6.3 calls per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-11, was 6 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2026-08-15 to 2026-09-13.051015202026-06-062026-07-252026-09-11
Port calls, Durban, 2026-06-06 (6 June 2026) to 2026-09-11 (11 September 2026): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2026-07-24 to 17 calls per day on 2026-08-31, with a mean of 6.3 calls per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-11, was 6 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2026-08-15 to 2026-09-13.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-09-15 (15 September 2026).

Port calls, Durban (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2026-06-066
2026-06-078
2026-06-086
2026-06-098
2026-06-107
2026-06-116
2026-06-123
2026-06-139
2026-06-144
2026-06-154
2026-06-169
2026-06-1710
2026-06-1811
2026-06-199
2026-06-204
2026-06-215
2026-06-2210
2026-06-2311
2026-06-247
2026-06-256
2026-06-267
2026-06-277
2026-06-284
2026-06-2911
2026-06-305
2026-07-015
2026-07-027
2026-07-035
2026-07-045
2026-07-058
2026-07-066
2026-07-076
2026-07-0810
2026-07-095
2026-07-104
2026-07-117
2026-07-123
2026-07-136
2026-07-146
2026-07-158
2026-07-1610
2026-07-176
2026-07-188
2026-07-195
2026-07-2010
2026-07-217
2026-07-224
2026-07-237
2026-07-240
2026-07-2510
2026-07-265
2026-07-277
2026-07-287
2026-07-298
2026-07-302
2026-07-314
2026-08-017
2026-08-023
2026-08-039
2026-08-047
2026-08-058
2026-08-068
2026-08-078
2026-08-082
2026-08-099
2026-08-100
2026-08-117
2026-08-127
2026-08-138
2026-08-148
2026-08-1510
2026-08-167
2026-08-176
2026-08-182
2026-08-196
2026-08-204
2026-08-216
2026-08-225
2026-08-238
2026-08-245
2026-08-254
2026-08-2610
2026-08-270
2026-08-285
2026-08-290
2026-08-309
2026-08-3117
2026-09-012
2026-09-028
2026-09-033
2026-09-044
2026-09-059
2026-09-067
2026-09-075
2026-09-083
2026-09-094
2026-09-106
2026-09-116

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Container ship port calls, Durban

Baseline (expected)
1.8 calls per day
Observed
1.4 calls per day
Change
-0.4 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
Standardised score
-0.3
Event window
2026-08-15 to 2026-09-18 (35 days, provisional)
Baseline window
2026-06-13 to 2026-08-07 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-22 (22 September 2026), data revision 2:6e66e4a0309a
Container ship port calls, DurbanContainer ship port calls, Durban, 2026-06-06 (6 June 2026) to 2026-09-11 (11 September 2026): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2026-06-07 to 6 calls per day on 2026-06-16, with a mean of 1.7 calls per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-11, was 2 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2026-08-15 to 2026-09-13.02462026-06-062026-07-252026-09-11
Container ship port calls, Durban, 2026-06-06 (6 June 2026) to 2026-09-11 (11 September 2026): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2026-06-07 to 6 calls per day on 2026-06-16, with a mean of 1.7 calls per day. The latest value, for 2026-09-11, was 2 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2026-08-15 to 2026-09-13.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-09-15 (15 September 2026).

Container ship port calls, Durban (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2026-06-063
2026-06-070
2026-06-082
2026-06-094
2026-06-101
2026-06-111
2026-06-121
2026-06-133
2026-06-141
2026-06-151
2026-06-166
2026-06-172
2026-06-181
2026-06-191
2026-06-203
2026-06-212
2026-06-222
2026-06-232
2026-06-242
2026-06-252
2026-06-262
2026-06-272
2026-06-281
2026-06-293
2026-06-302
2026-07-012
2026-07-021
2026-07-032
2026-07-042
2026-07-050
2026-07-062
2026-07-072
2026-07-083
2026-07-092
2026-07-101
2026-07-111
2026-07-120
2026-07-132
2026-07-143
2026-07-151
2026-07-162
2026-07-173
2026-07-180
2026-07-190
2026-07-203
2026-07-212
2026-07-221
2026-07-234
2026-07-240
2026-07-253
2026-07-261
2026-07-271
2026-07-283
2026-07-294
2026-07-300
2026-07-311
2026-08-012
2026-08-020
2026-08-033
2026-08-043
2026-08-051
2026-08-063
2026-08-071
2026-08-081
2026-08-093
2026-08-100
2026-08-111
2026-08-123
2026-08-130
2026-08-144
2026-08-152
2026-08-162
2026-08-171
2026-08-180
2026-08-191
2026-08-201
2026-08-211
2026-08-222
2026-08-233
2026-08-241
2026-08-251
2026-08-264
2026-08-270
2026-08-280
2026-08-290
2026-08-304
2026-08-313
2026-09-010
2026-09-021
2026-09-030
2026-09-040
2026-09-054
2026-09-061
2026-09-073
2026-09-081
2026-09-091
2026-09-100
2026-09-112

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Previous computations (4)
  • 2026-09-20, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 1:423360432d76: observed 2.0 against baseline 1.8 calls per day
  • 2026-09-20, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 1:5b6ddb8fe173: observed 7.8 against baseline 7.5 calls per day
  • 2026-09-20, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 1:65be50743a35: observed 1.4 against baseline 1.7 calls per day
  • 2026-09-20, wfm-effect-1.0, revision 1:4f624d3b25ab: observed 5.8 against baseline 6.7 calls per day

Timeline

  1. A freight forwarders association relays the terminal's notice of a cutover to the new operating system, starting 18:00 on 15 August, with no vessel or landside operations for about twelve hours. [s3]
  2. The terminal goes live on Navis N4; users must register afresh for access. [s1] [s3]
  3. Reports describe truck queues of up to about 30 hours, longer vessel stays and spoiled refrigerated cargo. The terminal pauses acceptance of reefer boxes, says the system is stable, and says equipment limits and the backlog mean normal flow will take time. [s1] [s2]

Cause

The backlog followed a planned migration to a new terminal operating system, with equipment limits and yard congestion cited as further factors. Attributed by: Durban Gateway Terminal, as reported. [s1] [s2] [s3]

Corrections

No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-20 (20 September 2026).

Sources

  1. [s1] WorldCargo News, NAVIS N4 rollout leaves Durban Gateway fighting operational backlog, published 2026-08-27 (27 August 2026), accessed 2026-09-20. Archived copy. (press)
  2. [s2] Agri News, System Migration Triggers Major Backlog at Durban Gateway Terminal, published 2026-08-27 (27 August 2026), accessed 2026-09-20. Archived copy. (press)
  3. [s3] Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders, DGT Navis N4 Go-Live Update, published 2026-08-11 (11 August 2026), accessed 2026-09-20. Archived copy. (press)