What Are Sea Ports?
A Seaport Is an artificial harbor or wharf constructed to receive sea-going vessels, such as ships and barges. The word ‘Seaport’ comes from the French words ‘port’ (harbor) and ‘seafarer’ (sailor). The first seaports were built in Europe during the Middle Ages to serve as points of trade and exchange for goods between merchants and explorers. A Seaport is a port that has been constructed on the sea instead of a river or lake. It serves as a point of entry for ships bringing passengers or freight into the city, rather than those traveling up its rivers. They are often constructed in sheltered locations where natural harbors aren’t available or are too small to accommodate larger vessels.
The benefits of seaports are many. They provide connections to other countries, avenues for overseas trade and international commerce, and a way for goods to move from one place to another. Seaports typically have long wharves where ships can be docked. The quayside is the area of a seaport where cargo is handled. Large container ships may dock at the pier’s end nearest the open ocean and smaller or more shallow draft vessels can be docked at the pier head nearer shore. Seaports allow us to engage in international trade without relying on an overland route, which would take much longer to reach its destination.
How Many Sea Ports In South Africa?
The coasts of South Africa lie on the Southern end of the continent’s landmass. The country touches the Indian Ocean on its east and the South Atlantic on its West coast. This allows cargo and cruise vessels of all sizes to have 3-way access to the South African coasts. The major ports in South Africa line up along the 1,739 miles long coastline.
As such, it manages the eight commercial seaports along South Africa’s 2 954-km coastline. These ports are Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, Cape Town and Saldanha.
- Port of Durban (Durban, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port of Richards Bay (The Richards Bay town, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port of Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port of Saldanha (Saldanha Bay, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port of Coega (Port Ngqura, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
- Port of East London (East Cape Province, South Africa)
- Cargo Handling
- Network and Layout
What Are The Types Of Sea Ports?
The most common ports can be categorized into commercial/industrial ports, container terminal ports, and intermodal ports. In another classification provided in, ports are classified into three types, such as local ports, national ports, and international ports.