The Container Port Performance Index
- Frans Minnaar
- Oct 1, 2025
- 5 min read
The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) provides a globally consistent and comparable assessment of container port performance. It is based on empirical measurements of vessel time in port, focusing on how efficiently container ports serve ships from the perspective of shipping lines and their customers. It is grounded in objective data and a robust two-pronged methodology.
One of the most critical indicators of port performance, particularly from a vessel operator’s perspective, is the total time a ship spends in port. This affects vessel utilization, fuel consumption, schedule reliability, and ultimately transport cost and emissions.
The CPPI addresses the longstanding gap in the availability of consistent and comparable port performance indicators. Unlike earlier port benchmarking initiatives that relied on voluntary surveys or selective data disclosure, the CPPI is based on granular, globally available Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, combined with operational information on port calls and vessel characteristics from shipping lines.
The need to generate an index, rather than simply tracking vessel time in port or time per container moved, arises from the requirement to compare port performance across different ship and call sizes.
A small ship can only be served by one or a few ship-to-shore cranes, while larger ships will normally accommodate up to eight cranes (exceptionally up to ten) during one port call.
Thus, for the large ship, the loading or unloading time per container is, ceteris paribus, shorter. By the same token, each port call includes some fixed time to moor the ship.
Call size is far less significant when it comes to arrival time, which is more likely to be influenced by ship size. The more containers are subsequently loaded and unloaded per call, i.e., the larger the “call size,” the less time will be required per move.
The need to generate an index, rather than simply tracking vessel time in port or time per container moved, arises from the requirement to compare port performance across different ship and call sizes. A small ship can only be served by one or a few ship-to-shore cranes, while larger ships will normally accommodate up to eight cranes (exceptionally up to ten) during one port call. Thus, for the large ship, the loading or unloading time per container is, ceteris paribus, shorter. By the same token, each port call includes some fixed time to moor the ship. Call size is far less significant when it comes to arrival time, which is more likely to be influenced by ship size. The more containers are subsequently loaded and unloaded per call, i.e., the larger the “call size,” the less time will be required per move.
There is a close correlation between ship sizes and call sizes, as larger ships will normally load and unload more cargo per call. For a given call size, there is thus an almost tautological positive correlation between the minutes per move and the total time in port: the longer it takes to move each container, the longer the ship will stay in port.
Examining data for a single port call size reveals that more minutes per move are associated with a longer total stay in port. This correlation is illustrated by the 25 data points within the orange, which correspond to the port call size of 1,001 to 1,500 moves. This box shows that in those countries where ships spend longer in port, the time per container is also longer, representing a positive statistical correlation.
However, when examining all call sizes in one chart, the correlation becomes negative: as port hours increase, the time per container move decreases. This may initially appear counterintuitive, but it is explained by economies of scale in port operations: larger call sizes are normally associated with larger ships, which in turn allows for more cranes to be deployed for a single port call. As more cranes are deployed, the time per move decreases.
Key event 6 (the time spent from berth departure to the exit from the port limits) is excluded from the CPPI calculations. This is because any port performance loss that pertains to departure delays, such as pilot or tug availability, readiness of the mooring gang, channel access and water depths, forecasting completion time, communication, and ship readiness, will be incurred while the ship is still alongside the berth and will already be included in the CPPI. Operations carried out in a port, but after departing from a berth, such as bunkering, repairs, or simply waiting in a safe area, are excluded from the CPPI, as they are not influenced by the operational performance of the terminal or port.
The twenty ports with the highest CPPI in 2024 are depicted in the graph. A high ranking reflects above-average fast turnaround times for all vessel and port call categories. Most ports among the top-ranked are leading export and transshipment hubs. The graph below shows the top 20 ports in terms of improved CPPI between 2020 and 2024.
The next graph presents the top 20 ports in terms of improved CPPI between 2023 and 2024.
The disruptions of 2024, particularly the Red Sea crisis, posed a challenge to ports across the African continent. South African ports, situated along the alternative Cape of Good Hope route, were directly affected as large volumes of diverted Asia–Europe trade transited past their shores. This placed new demands on capacity and operational efficiency at a time when many ports worldwide experienced deteriorating performance.
While overall CPPI scores in Sub-Saharan Africa remain constrained by structural issues and congestion, several South African ports recorded noteworthy improvements. Cape Town improved its CPPI score by nearly 240 points between 2023 and 2024, one of the strongest gains globally. Cape Town has invested in new cranes and equipment, upgraded warehousing capacity, and introduced innovative measures such as hydraulic shore-tension units and a predictive wind model, developed with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, to mitigate weather-related disruptions. A helicopter piloting service has also been launched to improve ship access during periods of high swells.
Cape Town
Coega (Ngqura) Port also improved by more than 160 index points, even as more than half of all ports worldwide saw their performance worsen during the same period. These improvements reflect targeted investments, operational reforms, and adaptive measures to handle rerouted traffic.
Ngqura
Durban, South Africa’s principal gateway, has benefited from modernization initiatives, including the acquisition of new tugboats, ship-to-shore cranes, haulers, and trailers. Daily operational meetings and a container management system have enhanced cargo handling and turnaround efficiency. A request for proposals to bring in private sector participation at Durban Container Terminal further signals an ambition to align with global best practices.
Durban
The establishment of a National Logistics Crisis Committee and, more recently, a dedicated unit to accelerate private sector participation in the sector, further underlines South Africa’s commitment to long-term reform. The corporatization of Transnet National Ports Authority and the transition toward a regulated landlord port model are part of this broader transformation agenda.
Early data available for 2025 confirms that the investments and improvements have already had measurable positive impacts on performance. Based on latest data provided by Transnet, between mid-2024 and August 2025, vessel anchorage in South African ports went down by about 75%, gross crane moves per hour improved by 13%, and ship working moves went up by 25%.
Taken together, these reforms and targeted investments have helped South African ports weather the Red Sea shock of 2024. The resilience demonstrated by Coega and Cape Town highlights that structural reforms and operational improvements can translate quickly into measurable performance gains, even under challenging global conditions.
The contents of this article has been reprinted or concluded from the document titled The Container Port
Performance Index 2020 to 2024 - Trends and lessons learned. It was published by The World Bank and S&P Global, under Creative Commons, 4.0 license.
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Image source: 123RF
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