Global Port Partnership Signed to Support South Africa’s Logistics Modernisation

Global Port Partnership Signed to Support South Africa’s Logistics Modernisation. Transnet has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Port of Antwerp Bruges International and the Antwerp Flanders Port Training Centre, setting in motion a new phase of cooperation focused on strengthening South Africa’s port and logistics environment.

The agreement was signed on 22 January 2026 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. It provides a structured framework for collaboration aimed at improving operational efficiency, accelerating digital transformation, advancing sustainability practices and enhancing the competitiveness of regional trade linked to South Africa’s ports.

Central to the partnership is the transfer of global best practice and technical expertise. The cooperation will include training, benchmarking and advisory support designed to build long term institutional capacity within Transnet’s divisions. Identified focus areas include port operational performance, infrastructure planning and the development of regional trade corridors to improve the country’s broader logistics system.

The memorandum also provides for collaboration on hinterland corridor development and participation in international investment initiatives. Among these is potential alignment with the European Union’s Global Gateway programme, which supports investment in sustainable infrastructure across transport, energy, digital systems, health, education and research.

Under the agreement, the parties will work together on managerial, operational, strategic and governance advisory services. Additional areas include sustainability planning linked to energy transition, ecological responsibility and social considerations, as well as port operations, digital systems, corridor development and foreign investment support. Training and the strengthening of both human and institutional capacity form a further pillar of the cooperation.

Transnet Group chief executive Michelle Phillips said the partnership comes at an important time for the country’s logistics sector. She stated that the collaboration would support efforts to modernise ports and reinforce South Africa’s role in regional and international trade, adding that Transnet’s Reinvent for Growth strategy focuses on modernisation, expansion and optimisation through investment and partnerships.

Kristof Waterschoot, managing director of Port of Antwerp Bruges International and APEC, said the agreement builds on an earlier relationship between the organisations and will focus on operational efficiency, port logistics and priorities linked to energy transition.

Port of Antwerp Bruges chief executive Jacques Vandermeiren described the memorandum as a renewed commitment to cooperation, capacity building and the sharing of port sector expertise, with sustainability remaining a central theme.

A Joint Monitoring Committee will be established to oversee implementation and track progress across the agreed workstreams.