Durban port (port code: ZADUR) is the main port of South Africa, also serving inland countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Swaziland. It is located on the southeast coast of South Africa.
The port has a large modern harbour protected by north and south breakwaters. There are 59 commercial berths and an SBM, offshore near the airport, for very large crude carriers (VLCC's). Facilities exist for handling most types of cargo.
The port handles approximately 74.7 million tons of cargo and 2.56 million TEUs annually. The main imports include containerised cargo, galvanised coils, bulk-wheat, soda-ash, bulk petcoke, paper, steel, project equipment fertiliser, steel tubes, steel plates, bulk potash magnesite, IMO chemicals, wax, drums of lub oil. The principal exports are granite, containerised cargo, coal, maize manganese, ferro chrome, galvanised wire, timber, bright bars, steel sections, plywood, mill rolls, stainless steel sheets.
Each year about 4,550 vessels visit this port, among which around 60% are cargo vessels, 14.5% are tankers, and 8.5% are sailing vessels. The maximum length of the vessels recorded to having entered this port is 366 meters. The maximum draught is 16.2 meters. The maximum deadweight is 317,052t.
