Cape Town Port & Link Ship Chandlers
Cape Town Port
The city of Cape Town in South Africa goes by many names – Table Bay, the Cape of Storms, Cape of Good Hope, the fairest Mother City. Situated along one of the most frequently used trade routes around the world, this bustling port plays a vital role in the economic wellbeing of not only South Africa, but the African continent at large.
It handles vast amounts of fresh fruit, represents SA’s second-largest container port after Durban, and has also emerged as a leading repair and maintenance hub that services Asian fishing fleets as well as West African oil carriers. Cape Town port is also becoming an increasingly important docking destination for pleasure cruises from around the world, including both medium and large vessels that dock at main port.
The port’s history is closely tied to the recorded history of modern-day South Africa. Established by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1652 to service their vessels during long and arduous journeys to the East Indies, the vibrant city of Cape Town grew from a humble port-side victualing station to the attractive world-renowned visitors’ destination it is today.
These days, the historic Victoria and Alfred basins, which constituted the original Cape Town port, has been given over to the V&A Waterfront – mainly a tourist attraction, but still a working port that accepts smaller fishing- and pleasure vessels. The real action takes place at Duncan Dock and Ben Schoeman Dock, which are open 24/7 and handles upward of 2500 vessels and 4.7 million tonnes of cargo per year.
DID YOU KNOW? The breakwater that forms part of the V&A Waterfront was the result of the insurance company Lloyd’s of London’s refusal to provide insurance on ships entering Table Bay in winter after a storm blew 30 ships ashore in 1858. The British government of the time started building the breakwater in 1860.
Link Ship Chandlers’ services at Cape Town port range from the provision of food and beverages, office supplies, clothing, medical supplies, safety gear and deck equipment, to the procurement of specialised items and services, such as global SIM-cards and on-the-go waste removal, and more.
Cape Town port is one of the main South African ports Link Ship Chandlers has the privilege of supplying. To learn more about the various services we offer in Coega, Saldanha and Port Elizabeth, see our website and keep an eye on the blog in coming weeks and months.
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