While South Africa's conventional reefer terminals are still operating, container terminals in all major export ports have come to a standstill as a national transport worker strike enters its third day.
The dispute has escalated further and is now threatening serious disruption of the country's fresh produce industry after another large national union joined the strike and reports indicated unions have rejected the latest increased offer by the transport authority, Transnet.
"We will be facing serious problems if this strike continues until the weekend," Stuart Symington, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Exporters' Forum, told Fruitnet.com.
"Our information is that the conventional reefer terminals which are privately owned are still loading fruit in Cape Town, Durban and Maputo, but the container terminals are seriously affected by the strike."
Mr Symington said while exporters have sufficient stock to supply their customers in the short term, a prolonged strike would cause disruption. With the conclusion of the grape export season, shipments from South Africa now mainly focus on apples, pears, citrus fruit, avocados and minor products such as Sharon Fruit.
Mr Symington believes the movement of empty containers from the ports to the interior is affected, and this will have a knock-on effect on export operations.
"There are two train loads of containers in Cape Town destined to the northern areas which is unable to move," he said.
The Citrus Growers' Association (CGA) told its members all major ports have come to a virtual standstill.
"Transnet have implemented contingencies for major commodities which has not included the prioritisation of container activities. Containers are presently still being accepted at the Port Elizabeth and Cape Town terminals whereas we have been lead to believe there is no capacity available in Durban," they said.
"Vessels are still entering and leaving ports where ships continue to operate at non-Transnet operated terminals, albeit ship movements are restricted for the time being."
The CGA said the fact break-bulk shipments are continuing undisrupted would reduce some of the pressure on the port capacity.
"The cold stores in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town have spare capacity in the interim, but should the strike continue to the end of the week then capacity may become constrained."
Because it is still early in the season, fruit flow to ports still remains lower than during the peaks and the port cold stores normally have spare capacity at this stage of the season.
The transport workers strike is a serious blow for South Africa less than a month before the start of the FIFA World Cup finals, which are due to kick off in Cape Town in June.
The strike action involves workers employed at all of the country's commercial ports, the national rail network, rail engineering operations and the national pipeline.
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