Transnet Port Terminals has broken an all-time record by loading 1 665 reefers of South African grapes, blueberries and plums destined for Europe, aboard the Santa Clara, owned by logistics company Maersk.
A Cape Town Container Terminal team achieved the new record over the past week, surpassing the previous record of 1 200 reefers.
“The reefer season is from October to April, a sensitive yet very critical operation for the country’s economy – and we take pride in the preparations we make to ensure that fruit is moved within schedule,” said acting terminal manager Oscar Bochards in a statement issued on Tuesday.
He added that the new record was encouraging for the team, considering that the recent vessel loading performance was a 63% improvement on the previous record.
“Unfavourable weather conditions, including strong winds, could have negatively impacted on us. However, the team and the collaboration with the customer, gave us a winning combination,” Bochards said.