TRANSNET National Ports Authority (TNPA), the landlord of South Africa’s commercial seaports, has opened approximately 100 leasing opportunities for port land and commercial developments across its seven ports. There are 26 properties in the Port of Durban and 24 in the Port of Richards Bay advertised.
The 100 leasing opportunities advertised by TNPA through a Request for Proposals (RFP) encompass a variety of scenarios. Firstly, there are vacant buildings—properties that currently stand unoccupied and have never been leased before. Secondly, TNPA has properties whose previous leases have expired, and is legally obligated to open them to the market for new bids and agreements. Lastly, there are vacant properties that require repairs and renovation before tenants can occupy them.
TNPA’s approach is to gauge what potential bidders are willing to invest. The bidding process allows for that flexibility, as long as the development aligns with the port’s overall development plans as indicated in the RFP. These opportunities aim to unlock the economic potential of the land within the port system and foster new business ventures in the port cities.
Out of the current approximate total gross lettable area of 26 million sqm, the total extent covered by properties which have been issued for leasing opportunities amounts to 438,719 sqm.
“While these leasing opportunities allow TNPA to fully optimise the use of land within the ports, they undoubtedly present an untapped opportunity for the business to unlock the future of South Africa’s trade economy whilst opening up the market for new entrants,” said Dr Dineo Mazibuko, acting TNPA general manager for commercial services.
Outside of KwaZulu-Natal, 26 leases are for the Port of Cape Town, two for the Port of East London, four for the Port of Mossel Bay, 11 for the Port of Port Elizabeth, and six for the Port of Saldanha.
The primary lease term ranges between a period of one to 15 years, depending on the type of development and alignment to the specific Port Development Framework Plan.
The RFP documents were issued on 1 March 2024 with submissions closing on 5 April 2024 promptly at 12H00. RFP advertisements containing further details on accessing the RFP documents are accessible from the National Treasury’s e-tender publication portal http://www.etenders.gov.za/ and/or the Transnet website: www.transnet.net.
