# Saldanha Bay (ZA SDB)

**UN/LOCODE:** ZA SDB  
**Country:** South Africa  
**Water Body:** South Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Medium  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Breakwater)  
**GPS:** -33.0333, 17.9667

A 23-metre draught makes Saldanha Bay South Africa's largest natural deep-water port, set on the west coast about 110 kilometres north of Cape Town and built around iron ore export. Its dedicated ore terminal handles roughly 96 percent of South Africa's iron ore exports, is designed for about 60 million tonnes a year (installed capacity near 57 Mtpa) and is fed by a purpose-built 861-kilometre heavy-haul railway from the Sishen mines in the Northern Cape, shipping mainly to Asia and the Middle East. In 2026 Transnet completed a roughly R4 billion expansion and commissioned a new wagon tippler in June. A separate crude oil terminal discharges very large crude carriers, with the cargo piped onward and blended and stored on site, and an offshore oil-and-gas service complex is planned. A multipurpose terminal handles steel coils, pig iron and other mineral exports as breakbulk. Containers and general-cargo lines route through Cape Town, while Richards Bay on the east coast complements national bulk traffic.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [Durban → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-shanghai)
- [Durban → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-shenzhen)
- [Durban → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-guangzhou)
- [Durban → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-hong-kong)
- [Durban → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-tokyo)
- [Durban → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/durban-busan)

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/saldanha-bay-port-za-sdb](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/saldanha-bay-port-za-sdb)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/saldanha-bay-port-za-sdb](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/saldanha-bay-port-za-sdb)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/saldanha-bay-port-za-sdb/llm-summary?lang=en*