The riots in South Africa have paralyzed the Port of Durban and some shipping companies have suspended shipping!

Last week, violence broke out in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa and quickly spread to several other provinces. Large-scale looting and destruction blocked roads in cities such as Johannesburg and Durban, emptied shops, and set many large shopping malls on fire. The scene was chaotic and the situation was tense.

According to reports, on the evening of the 13th local time , a spokesman for the South African Police Department stated that the riots caused by the arrest of former President Zuma are spreading to many provinces in South Africa. Due to robbery, riots, and burning of vehicles and buildings across the country, people’s production and life have been greatly affected.

Most businesses, shops and warehouses were looted and burned, resulting in the disruption of the supply chain of people's production and daily necessities. The operations of South Africa's major ports of Durban and Richards Bay, as well as the freight railway line connecting Durban and Gauteng Province, were also severely disrupted due to violent protests.

The country's largest crude oil refinery, Sapref, which has 35% of its refining capacity, also announced a temporary closure due to ongoing violence and looting. Durban is one of the busiest container ports on the African continent, second only to Tangier in Morocco and Port Said in Egypt, and is also an import hub for crude oil and petroleum products;

The protests have brought South Africa's largest economic artery to a standstill , as it delivers all kinds of major living materials to 14 countries in southern Africa . Currently, the country's largest city and largest port have been paralyzed, and the protests are likely to continue to spread.

Due to the riots caused by the protests in South Africa, some shipping companies in the Port of Durban have announced the suspension of operations. According to SMM, due to the riots caused by the protests in South Africa, some shipping companies in the Port of Durban recently issued a force majeure letter, announcing the temporary suspension of operations. Since it is currently unclear how long the force majeure event will last, the time for resuming operations has not been determined.

Maersk said in a notice that a large number of warehouses in Durban's interior have been closed, the Durban port terminal lacks staff and equipment and is in a stagnant state, and logistics providers have suspended services, resulting in disruptions to imports and exports.

Here, freight forwarders, foreign trade people, especially companies that have recently traded with South African countries and regions, please pay attention to the logistics situation in real time and be prepared for delays.

South African riots

Port suspension

Logistics delays