Collaboration is Delivering Results Why Now Is the Moment

The South African container logistics system has been under pressure. 

Vessel queues, congested yards, unpredictable rail slots and rising costs have dominated headlines. Yet in the last year, something shifted: when industry, labour and Transnet worked together, performance started to improve.

This was not theory; it was measurable. Ship turnaround times shortened, weekly TEUs moved climbed, and vessels began to berth on arrival. These outcomes were achieved because stakeholders came together with one clear purpose: stabilise the system and make it work.

The lesson is clear: collaboration works. 

But collaboration that happens only in times of crisis is fragile. Once the spotlight moves elsewhere, the gains risk evaporating. Without a permanent structure, we may find ourselves starting from zero when the next disruption hits.

That is why the Container User Forum (CUF) exists. CUF is not another talk-shop. It is a neutral, industry-led platform designed to institutionalise collaboration and make it business as usual. Instead of scrambling when a crisis erupts, CUF ensures there is always a seat at the table for cargo owners, shipping lines, trucking companies, forwarders, depots, terminals, and associations.

Why now?

• Because the evidence is fresh that joint action works.

• Because multiple interests are risking fragmentation.

• Because without a neutral, ring-fenced forum, we will go backwards.

CUF is the vehicle to capture this momentum and turn it into a long-term competitive advantage for South Africa’s container economy.

👉 Join CUF and make sure the gains we fought for together are not temporary fixes but permanent improvements.