The total volume of goods transported in South Africa during October 2003 rose by 3,6% y/y and 6,3% m/m to a record 65,181-million tons, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday.
October is seasonally the month when transport volumes peak as stores stock up for Christmas sales. On a seasonally adjusted basis, October volumes only rose by 1,6% m/m and were 10,5% less than the actual amount.
The October y/y increase was made up of a 6,3% increase in goods transported by private sector enterprises, which tend to be geared to the domestic market, while goods transported by state-owned Transnet, which is largely rail and geared towards exports, declined by 4%. Private sector enterprises transported 49,532-million tons, while Transnet transported 15,649-million tons.
The seasonally adjusted total volume of goods transported for the three months ended October 2003 increased by 2,6% compared with the three months ended July 2003. This increase was due to increases of 3,3% and 1% reported by private sector enterprises and Transnet respectively.
The total volume of goods transported during the first ten months of 2003 increased by 2,6% compared with the first ten months of 2002. This increase was due to increases of 3,1% and 1,2% reported by private sector enterprises and Transnet respectively.
The total distance travelled by private sector enterprises during October 2003 increased by 0,7% (+1,4 million kilometres) compared with October 2002.
The total gross transport income of private sector enterprises during October 2003 increased by 9,6% (+R120-million) compared with October 2002.
The South African government said in July it would be holding discussions with transport parastatal Transnet to improve the efficiency of its general freight business.
In a statement after President Thabo Mbeki reported back on his cabinet policy review meeting, the cabinet noted that to spur economic growth additional resources would have to be provided to Transnet ”immediately” to improve the rail network, particularly with regard to locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure.
With regard to freight, it noted that prices, efficiency of the business and the acquisition of additional expertise would be discussed with Transnet ”as a matter of urgency”.
It noted that additional resources would be mobilised to ease congestion at the Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth container terminals and special measures would be put in place to improve efficiencies including communication among stakeholders.
The South African economy has officially been in an ”upward” phase since September 1999 and in May 2003 exceeded the previous record upward phase, which lasted from September 1961 to April 1965. – I-Net Bridge