A comparative study of selected African ports and Ports within a BRICS-specific Port (Durban, South Africa)

At its simplest, this article addresses issues associated with the economic role and functions of seaports. A seaport may be seen primarily as an interface between sea and land-based modes of transport; it is mostly a firm on its own, created to facilitate trade and economic activity by keeping at minimal level the cost of transport services. Last, as an economic actor, a seaport can induce the economic activity within the city as well as within the region where it is located.

To fulfill its economic role, a seaport must provide marine and cargo-related infrastructure to allow ships to load, discharge, distribute, store and add value to transported cargo. As any other economic actor, a seaport sells its service to the users to whom a price is charged for the benefit of using its infrastructure and/or services. Setting a tariff or fixing the price for the facilities and services provided by a seaport is a complex and challenging exercise. There are principles and rules to be observed if one has to present a tariff for a given port.

A detailed interrogation of the principles and rules to be observed in setting a rational basis for efficient port pricing lies at the heart of this paper.  An acceptable port tariff structure is understood in this context to be one that takes into account the actual cost of providing port facilities and service; one that treats equitably the various parties benefiting from such facilities or service; and one that contributes to trade facilitation. The particular context in which the present study is conducted and where this conceptual framework is applied, is the ports of Douala and Matadi in Central Africa.