Transnet has entered an international partnership aimed at accelerating the modernisation of South Africa’s ports, signing a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) and the Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre (Apec).
The agreement was concluded in January on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos and sets out a framework for long-term cooperation focused on operational performance, infrastructure planning, digitalisation and sustainability across Transnet’s port system.
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At the centre of the partnership is a push to improve efficiency and strengthen South Africa’s logistics competitiveness, at a time when port performance remains critical to trade flows and broader economic growth.
The MoU provides for advisory support across managerial, operational, strategic and governance functions, alongside technical training and benchmarking initiatives designed to build institutional capacity within Transnet’s divisions.
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The collaboration also extends beyond port terminals themselves.
The parties will work together on hinterland corridor development and foreign investment programmes, including opportunities linked to the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, which mobilises funding for sustainable infrastructure projects across sectors such as transport, energy and digital networks.
Transnet Group CEO Michelle Phillips said the agreement aligns with the group’s broader Reinvent for Growth strategy, which focuses on modernising, expanding and optimising port infrastructure through partnerships and targeted investment.
“This partnership comes at a critical time as we accelerate the modernisation of our ports and strengthen South Africa’s position in regional and global trade,” she said.
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From the Belgian side, the focus will include both traditional port performance measures and emerging priorities linked to the energy transition.
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Kristof Waterschoot, managing director of PoABI and Apec, said the MoU rekindles “our relationship which started some decades ago”, adding that the parties will collaborate on “trending topics like energy transition and de-carbonisation whilst still embracing the classic topics like operational efficiency and port logistics”.
PoABI CEO Jacques Vandermeiren described the agreement as “an exciting new chapter” built on capacity-building and expertise sharing, with sustainability as a central pillar.
To oversee delivery, Transnet and its partners will establish a joint monitoring committee responsible for coordinating and tracking the implementation of the MoU.
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